Hot-under-the-collar staff stage kitchen walkout

Searing temperatures in the workplace saw Kaikohe fast food workers take seriously the old adage "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen".

Seven staff from McDonald's family restaurant in Kaikohe took to the town's main street yesterday to protest after having spent weeks working in a kitchen where they say temperatures at times climbed to 38C because of a broken-down air conditioning unit.

The store's franchise owner Paul Wright said he was disappointed at the staff's action.

At midday yesterday, five of them walked out when Mr Wright arrived from the Kerikeri McDonald's he also owns.

Shouting their complaints through megaphones and holding placards, they were joined by two workers who were not rostered on duty. The protest seemed to touch a nerve with passers-by, many of whom tooted and voiced support.

Mr Wright said the staff "just walked out" after giving him only an hour's notice and before he had a chance to update them about getting a machine part from Australia for the faulty air-conditioning unit. Mr Wright said the part was "on its way" and he believed the walkout staff had been aware of that.

He hoped to have discussions with them to resolve the issue, he said. "It's important that they're working in good conditions. When they come back we'll have chat."

Yesterday, Mr Wright borrowed an air-conditioner compressor from another company to take the heat out of the kitchen.

Shift supervisor Janie Tairua said staff had been complaining for a month about the broken equipment and the unbearable heat. They had set up a thermometer and took daily photos to prove how hot the kitchen was at times. The walkout was over health and safety concerns.

Ms Tairua said the store's management could have borrowed or installed replacement equipment at any time before the situation became too hot too handle yesterday.

"It's taken for us to do this before they did something about it," she said.

It was likely staff would have that chat with the boss when they returned to McDonald's to pick up their bags and other belongings, "because we did just walk out," Ms Tairua said.