Union Files Further Notices of Strike Action
The Union has filed further Notices of Strike Action to take effect from 0800 hours 31st October 2009 – 0800 hours 7th November 2009.
The Union has filed further Notices of Strike Action to take effect from 0800 hours 31st October 2009 – 0800 hours 7th November 2009.
Members will recall the Union’s concerns regarding the appointment of a Volunteer Chief Fire Officer, Ross Ditmar, to the position of Assistant Regional Manager in Transalpine Region. This included a legal challenge to the appointment in conjunction with the Executive Officers’ Society.
As instructed by the National Committee of the NZPFU, the Auckland Local advises members that we will be holding Special Meetings for members on Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October as follows:
At a meeting of the Auckland Local Committee on Tuesday 13 October, the Committee unanimously passed the following resolution and seeks the support of all Auckland members in applying it.
Members need to be aware that a Fire Service road show is scheduled for the Regions and is due to commence Tuesday 13 October, Wednesday 14 October in Auckland and Thursday 15 October in Rotorua.
The Union has filed a Notice of Strike Action which takes effect from 0800 hours 17 October 2009 – 0800 hour 24 October 2009
The Auckland Regional Manager Brian Butt has unilaterally decided to appoint the fence-jumper Glen Menzies to the position of Acting Assistant Area Manager, Auckland City Fire Area.
Further to Newsletter No.37 the Union can report that negotiations for the renewal of the Collective Agreement have ceased. The Union National Committee met to discuss the Fire Service’s final offer. As mentioned in the Newsletter the Committee will be bringing the offer out to members at local meetings for ballot.
Further to the information as advised in Newsletter No. 36 – 30 September, the Union and Fire Service Bargaining Teams met again on Thursday 1 October 2009.
As advised in Newsletter No.35 – 24 September 2009, and as a consequence of the refusal of the Fire Service to bargain, the Union had filed an urgent application with the Employment Relations Authority seeking an order requiring the Fire Service to bargain.
As a consequence of the Fire Service cancelling the bargaining meeting of 23 September, and their refusal to negotiate, the Union has sought an urgent hearing in the Employment Relations Authority seeking a Compliance Order requiring the Fire Service to meet with the Union for the purposes of bargaining.
Late yesterday (16.30 hours) the Fire Service informed the Union that they had cancelled negotiations arranged for today.
Please find herewith a letter to the Prime Minister which is a response to the obvious misleading and incorrect information he is obviously receiving from officials – e.g. as in Mike Hall’s media release and regurgitated in the letter to the Herald from Larry Cocker.
Section 66 Appointments Members will, by now, have read the latest Notice related to strike action which specifically bans acting up into Executive Officer positions.
The Union and the Fire Service have agreed to recommence negotiations on Wednesday 23 September.
Notice of Strike Action has been lodged to commence at 0800 hours on 24 September 2009 – 0800 hours 1 October 2009. This action is identical to that as being taken at present and as detailed in Newsletter No.30 – 4 September 2009
“The protest by striking firefighters at the opening ceremony of the $4.9 millon Mt. Roskill fire station tomorrow (Friday), will go ahead”, says Jeff McCulloch, President of the Firefighters Union in Auckland.
The Northern Branch supports the Auckland Local’s position and as such, does not condone the actions of the individual who has recently accepted an appointment to the rank of Senior Station Officer under Section 66.
Opening of Mt Roskill Fire Station – Friday, 11 September
Auckland Local President of the Firefighters Union, Jeff McCulloch said today, that “firefighters would be carrying out a protest and picket at the opening ceremony on Friday 11th September, of the new $4.9 million dollar Mt. Roskill fire station”.
Members will by now be aware that the Fire Service is intending to hold the official opening of Mt. Roskill Fire Station at 1230 hours on Friday, 11 September. This is a cynical play on the deaths of 343 FDNY firefighters on this date in 2001.
Further Notice of Strike Action has been lodged to commence at 0800 hours on 17 September – 0800 hours 24 September 2009.
Note: BBQ provided. Signs provided
Members are advised that, under direction from the National Union, we will be entering into dialogue with Auckland Fire Region Management over the staffing issues at Silverdale and also the proposed staff movements for the Te Atatu Fire Station.
During the current industrial action, to enable members to receive Union notices in a timely manner, it is strongly recommended that members sign up to both text alerting and their home e-mail address so that notices can be sent directly to them.
Further Notice of Strike Action has been lodged to commence at 0800 hours on 10 September – 0800 hours 17 September 2009.
Additional pay claims for operational staff are to be processed as follows for the duration of the strike action.
Mediation was held in the ERA on Monday 24 August regarding the payment of overtime for members. As a result of this, roster officers will be able to log onto the Fire Service SMS rostering to complete the roster for the purpose of catching up past overtime claims and continuing claims during the strike action.
A hard copy of the Union’s Settlement Proposal and the consequent response from the Fire Service has been forwarded to Local Secretaries and will be distributed on Stations shortly.
Following the decision of the Employment Court to issue and continue an injunction against our current strike notice, the NZPFU and the Fire Service have worked constructively to try and obtain clarity in terms of the strike action. The following clarity is the result of those efforts.
The Union has filed two Notices of Strike Action to commence at 0800 hours on 27 August 2009 and to conclude at 0800 hours on 3 September 2009.
The Union has just become aware that Martin-Jenkins has been given a $58,000 contract to undertake a strategic review of Emergency Incident Reporting.
As advised in Newsletter No.22, the hearing on the Fire Service’s Interim Injunction application was heard yesterday.
The Union, its Officers and Members have been restrained by an Interim Order of the Employment Court from continuing to participate in the Strike Action, which commenced at 0800 hours on 6 August 2009, including the Union’s Directive of 5 August 2009 – a copy of the Employment Court Order attached.
The Union refers to the Whole of Country e-mail from the Acting Chief Executive Brett Warwick of 3 August 2009, where he expresses his opinion over the effect of the Union’s Strike Notices for the period 0800 hours on Thursday 6 August 2009 and again from 0800 hours on Thursday 13 August 2009.
The Fire Service’s determination not to pay additional/special pay claims for most members arising during the period of Strike Action is not correct and unless rectified will be challenged legally by the Union.
National Union Vice President As per the attached Ballot Declaration Form, I hereby declare:
As per the attached Ballot Declaration Form, I hereby declare:
Members should have read information put out by the Union regarding the upcoming industrial action.
Members may be somewhat confused by the edicts issued by both National Commander Mike Hall and Fire Region Commander Brian Butt regarding their requirements for the keeping of records during the periods of industrial action scheduled to take place from 23 July 2009.
Members are well aware that the Auckland Local is holding its Annual General Meeting at College Rifles Clubrooms tomorrow, Thursday 23 July, commencing at 1030 hours.
Members are advised that the Auckland Local Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 23 July 2009.
The Northern Branch Office has fielded enquiries in regard to the process to ensure pay claims or additional pay is processed for members.
Members will by now be aware that as part of your Local’s efforts to further our contract negotiations, a partial stoppage is planned from 23 July to 30 July.
Members are advised that the Auckland Local Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 23 July 2009.
It has come to our attention that some members are being pressured into proceeding with assessments of sprinklered buildings. This includes watches that have been tasked with co-ordinating assessments on a station basis.
Industrial Action The Union filed Notice of Strike Action today, for North Island members – that is:
The Fire Service is currently advertising for a Fire Risk Manager for the Counties Manukau area.
The Union has filed Notice of Strike Action today.
The Union is strongly opposed to the intention to significantly reduce the PDA to Sprinklered Buildings to, in almost all cases, two pumps.
The offer, as approved by the Fire Service Commission, has been fully considered by the Union Committee. Full details of the offer, including the specific proposed wording are attached.
Members will be aware that because of the secondment of AM Larry Cocker to NHQ for approximately 6 months and the temporary absence of AAM Andy Clarkson from his position, the Auckland Regional Manager recently approached one of our members to carry out a Section 66 appointment.
Collective Agreement Negotiations Members are advised that the Fire Service’s Bargaining Team has developed a further position to put to the Union, however Commission sign-off is needed.