The Warehouse Rotorua has become the latest subject of a nationwide protest against low pay.
About 30 people took part in a one hour strike yesterday at the Central Mall store, both in and outside the mall.
They held placards and attracted attention from passing vehicles outside the mall, and chanted through loud speakers.
First Union communications manager Morgan Godfrey said low pay was the central issue to the nationwide strikes, but each store would have other issues.
"There have been strikes across the country, protesting the 30 cent and 31 cent pay offer which workers feel is not enough."
The pay offer would increase the lowest pay rate of a worker at The Warehouse to $15.32 an hour, just above the adult minimum wage of $14.75, Mr Godfrey said.
"A career retail wage is just over $18. It's got a wider context . . . the general feeling [is] that they are being left behind [other similar roles]."
Warehouse Rotorua employee Albert Williams said the protest was about getting the message out that the "living wage" was still a fantasy.
"We recognise The Warehouse is a good company but our position is they could do a lot better."
But a spokeswoman for The Warehouse, who did not want to be named, said the company was not sure why people were demonstrating.
"What they are striking about is only applicable to 13 workers across the country who are affected by the $15.30 pay rate, and that is only for their first year of work. All other employees were offered a 2 per cent wage increase. "Most of them are either on the career
wage of $18.30 as a minimum, and the majority of our team members are over and above that. They also get health insurance, birthdays off for free."
First Union retail and finance secretary Maxine Gay said The Warehouse was not telling the full picture.
"People are on low starting rates for up to five years. That would mean there are only 13 people on a starting rate today. There's three steps in the wage scale. The career retailer rate is $1 an hour below the 'living wage' rate."