The former chairman of Hackney Unison has won his case against the national town hall workers’ union after being barred in 2009.

Brian Debus was disciplined along with three colleagues for distributing a leaflet challenging Unison’s leadership.

They were suspended for three years after Unison found him guilty of undermining the ‘integrity of the Standing Orders Committee’.

Outraged supporters held protests against the barring of Mr Debus and his colleagues, Glenn Kelly, Onay Kasab and Suzanne Muna, branding it a “political witch hunt”.

A judge ruled at Central London Employment Tribunal on January 27 that Unison had been wrong to discipline the activists.

Mr Debus said: “I have been appalled at the enormous amount of time and money that has been wasted on this case. Unison should be defending its members at what is likely to be the most difficult time for public sector workers in a generation but instead it has focused its efforts on disciplining hard working activists.”

Mr Debus and his colleagues are now waiting the hear whether Unison will allow them to rejoin the Hackney branch, which represents 2,500 council workers, following the tribunal’s decision.