Following the ruling that its lockout of its workers was unlawful (PDF here), contractor Spotless Services Ltd has caved and agreed to offer hospital workers in its employ the same terms and conditions as offered by every other contractor and DHB. Spotless's workers - including 700 non-union staff - are now celebrating a $3/hour (25%!) pay rise. But the effects won't just be felt by hospital cleaners - the higher wages offered in hospitals will help drag up wages across the entire sector, and indirectly across the entire economy.
There's a clear lesson in here for workers in low paid jobs: if you fight for it, you can significantly improve your wages and conditions. And hopefully, more of them will.
