Workers at Bunnings in Mount Maunganui have walked off the job this afternoon after learning that the company is proposing a change which will remove the right to determine their start and finish times.

The strike action began at 1pm today as FIRST Union Retail and Finance Secretary Maxine Gay accused the home improvement store of instilling an 'insecure work model”.

Workers at Bunnings in Mount Maunganui protest after downing tools this afternoon. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Protesting staff have since taken to the corner of Hewletts Road and Jean Batten Drive to voice their displeasure at the proposed changes.

'Under our current collective agreement, Bunnings can only alter start and finish times under mutual agreement with the worker,” says Maxine.

'But now the company is trying to remove mutual agreement and insert a clause that will allow management to chop and change those times at will.

'While most companies are scrambling to remove this sort of insecure work model, Bunnings is taking off in the other direction.

'This means that a worker might be guaranteed 40 hours per fortnight, but then find that start and finish times chop and change. One week it might be Monday to Thursday and the next week it could be Thursday to Sunday.

'This is the sort of work model that the country has rejected, but Bunnings is trying to introduce it by stealth. Workers need certainty.

'Bunnings workers will resist any effort to impose insecure hours. More strikes are sure to follow.”

SunLive understands that the Mount Maunganui branch of Bunnings is the only one in the country to call strike action so far.

The Mount Maunganui store. Photo: Google Maps.