Employment Court overturns lockout. Union calls for backpay

The Employment Court has overturned the lockout of 800 hospital cleaners, kitchen staff and orderlies say the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU)

"This evening the Court injuncted the lockout effectively putting an end to two weeks of lockout," says SFWU spokesperson Alastair Duncan.

"This is a major step forward in delivering responsible industrial relations and dealing to a rogue employer.

"For the past two weeks eight hundred low waged workers have been locked out by a brutal and uncaring employer.

"The workers knew their cause was just and now the law supports them. Now we need Spotless to sign up to the national pay framework so that we can have truly healthy hospitals with truly healthy pay."

The union says it will meet with members over the next few days to determine how best to persuade Spotless to sign up to a national pay framework, previously accepted by every other employer.

The Service and Food Workers Union will now explore ways to see if the workers can claim back lost wages from Spotless, estimated to run to as much as $1 million from the past two weeks.