2007 Spotless dispute

The workers were locked out on July 12 after announcing rolling strikes were to start following the breakdown of employment agreement negotiations.

[2] Spotless spokesman Peter Jennings has said that the union had refused to withdraw strike notices and negotiate details of an agreement, while the company also claims the lock out was for health and safety reasons.

[4] Chief Judge Graeme Colgan agreed with the union that Spotless was wrong to ask some employees to make themselves available for work during strike action, which was the basis of the lockout.

[4] The workers returned to work on July 25 and agreed to put further industrial action on hold for at least 48 hours.

New Zealand Herald journalist Simon Collins called the settlement "a breakthrough with potential flow-on effects for thousands of other low-wage workers.