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An Employment Court judge has ruled that the lockout of hundreds of hospital cooks, orderlies and cleaners is illegal.
The workers, represented by the Service and Food Workers Union, have been locked out of hospitals throughout the country by their employer, Spotless Services, after threatening to strike over low pay.
The case was heard at the Employment Court in Auckland yesterday, after the union's unsuccessful attempt to get an injunction stopping an earlier lockout imposed by Spotless.
Union spokesman Alistair Duncan said the court yesterday injuncted Spotless from further lockouts, ending nine days of them.
As a gesture of goodwill, the union had lifted strike notices until midnight tonight, meaning workers would turn up to work today.
