Bunnings staff give strike notice

Bunnings employees will strike at some New Zealand stores after rejecting proposed contracts workers deemed unfair, First Union says.

Each strike would last up to two hours and would occur at various times over the next two weeks.

The union would not name which stores would be affected to help prevent management thwarting the strikes.

About 70 Bunnings workers delivered a strike notice at the company’s head office yesterday.

First Union Retail and finance secretary Maxine Gay said Bunnings was proposing a collective agreement that would hand bosses the power to chop and change start and finish times without the worker’s agreement.

Although workers would have guaranteed hours over a fortnight under the new contracts, Bunnings was proposing a clause that would allow management to change what days of the week workers were rostered on, she said.

‘‘Workers need certainty so they can plan things like childcare. You can’t plan your life when your work situation keeps changing,’’ Gay said.

‘‘This sort of insecurity is going to cause tremendous stress.’’

The Australian-owned hardware store had about 3000 staff in New Zealand, about 850 of which were union members – the majority working as permanent shop floor workers, the union said.

Bunnings has been approached for comment.