Annual General Meeting
Members are advised that the Auckland Local Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 31 August 2007.
Members are advised that the Auckland Local Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 31 August 2007.
Attached for members’ information is a memo from the Fire Service regarding Leave Balances in SMS Roster.
As per the attached Ballot Declaration Form, I hereby declare:
The Auckland Local advises members that we will be holding ratification meetings on Wednesday 25 July and Thursday 26 July to enable as many members (on/off duty) to attend and have their vote.
Members are advised that two ratification meetings will be held to ratify the collective agreement.
Final Wording of the proposed renewed Collective Agreement has now been finalized between the Union and the Fire Service. This is undoubtedly the most complex and wide-ranging proposed settlement negotiated by the Union for many years. Particularly with a proposal to settle the Days in Lieu litigation and the Union achieving overall more than could be expected if the Union was successful in the Supreme Court, this proposed settlement delivers significant gains for members.
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union wishes to bring to members’ attention the matter of Kiwi Saver Superannuation, which is being rolled out by the Government from the 1st July 2007.
Request from National Office for districts to participate in the above programme was forwarded to Chief Fire Officers in mid May. A key feature of the programme was that to enroll an agreement by consultation between career stations, officers, local union delegates and the Chief Fire Officer was required.
The Union has become aware that the Auckland Regional Manager has directed the Auckland Region CFO’s and DCFO’s to order their staff to desist from faxing the ‘Daily Summary of Pay Claims’ to the Pay Office in Wellington.
The Union is aware that the Injury Management Unit from Wellington is visiting members in terms of their ACC claims, which under the ACC Partnership Programme, the Fire Service manages.
In response to the various rumours currently circulating about Union Finances, including rumours of misappropriation of Union funds, the Union Committee called a Special Conference on 11 June 2007 to fully brief Conference Delegates on the true situation. The Union’s lawyer was also present.
By the closing date for nominations for positions in the Auckland Local, the following nominations had been received.
As has been advised to members, whilst the general principles of the proposed settlement are clear, the detailed precise wording is critically important.
The National Union is still working with the Fire Service on the final wording in the proposed collective. Members will be advised as soon as possible when the ratification meetings will take place for the Wellington Local.
Members will be aware of Notice to Members ALC/07-50 dated 2 May 2007. Interestingly, this NOTICE TO MEMBERS drew comment from NON Union members.
The Union is advised that both these payments will be made on Payday 23 May 2007.
Members will have seen the Fire Service pay offer contains a section where members will agree (upon ratification of the contract offer) to “participate and support the introduction of a National Resource Allocation Methodology” (NRAM).
As has been reported in previous Newsletters, the Union received a new proposal from the Fire Service, which includes a proposal to settle the Days in Lieu Litigation as a part of the Collective Agreement negotiations.
Members may be aware of a recent e mail from P Glennie (region) regarding electric blanket testing. In that e mail he states that firefighters can use the 4 blanket testing rigs held at region office. These can be used at brigade open days like City station has done previously. He correctly states that there is no requirement for the testing to be carried out by a registered electrician and that a “competent person” can conduct these tests.
Local Executive Meeting: Date: 18 April 2007 Union Office Time: 0930 Present: Morgan Wills,MW; Rob Hutchison, RH; Gary Johnstone, GJ; Steve Field,SF; Ian Wright, IW; Kevin Dorgan, KD; Joe Murphy, JM; Paul Smith, PS; Malcolm Hodgson, MH; Mike Tofts, MT; Johnsonville 281 crew. Apologies: Steve Hudson, SH; Hamish Rankine,HR Matters Arising: Matters for action from last meeting were discussed. Agenda: SF, Hutt Fire Why didn't go to 2nd alarm? And why did 23 do the standby IW Check on standby process should have come from hutt district. KD will check on status in comcen. IW to Talk to SSO re alarm calls. MH, Masterton excessive hours; CFO is writing asking questions re members working over their hours when Masterton aren't. Hours of work and fatigue policy discussed. MSM is the key principle here. IW to talk to Masterton members re hours of work and OT issues. MH, SFF acting up under sect66 Masterton; Masterton Local issue, IW to check whether there is an issue over there as Central branch pres. MT, High Angle Committee, Update; Wanted an update on progress IW to kick it into action, hasn't had much time lately. MT, Porirua toilet block; Questioned what is happening, rumours from Dunphy have emerged, might be stopped etc. PS to get minimum standards from DOL re showers and toilets and changing facilities. BIA. GO from there re Porirua. KD Comms issues; Senior comms trg issues, job share arrangements. (creates a vacancy, have to watch the MSM as it takes so long to train) New member on board now. Only two non members in Central comms. GJ, Various; Members are working below the adult minimum wage. Members are not actually knowing what the Union asked for in the contract. Meeting with Wgtn free hasn't happened yet, why not? Did we get the information from HAZMAT unit calls and work? Members were told what our offer was at the Union meeting to vote on industrial action. Ambo meeting hasn't been held, IW too busy with National stuff. GJ to look at arranging the meeting. Information was given to DB. IW, OSH 4WD Stn 48, Electric blanket testing. IW to write to Kennedy station, Trentham volly's only when 487 and 491 are not available, training issue for stn 49 drivers. OSH discussion re Butzbach and Hutch. IW to write NTM regarding elections and electric blanket testing. D Best Contracts etc Talked about the proposed contract and court case DIL Stuff etc. Meeting closed: 1145
The Union was advised late yesterday that the Supreme Court has granted the Union leave to appeal the Court of Appeal decision.
As a consequence of the Special Conference on 13 April 2007, the Union has gone back to the Fire Service to both seek clarification on some details and to propose improvements.
Given the completion of the Ballot on Industrial Action, the Fire Service has communicated a revised position regarding the negotiations.
Ballot - Industrial Action
The Auckland Local advises members that we will be holding a Special Meeting for members on Friday 23 March as follows:
Members will be aware that Fire Region Manager Butt recently removed or reduced aerial appliances from CBD turnouts. The Union opposed this and continued to fight for the response to remain unchanged.
The 7th day of negotiations was completed on 5 March.
The Local executive would like to extend it’s thanks to SO Kevin Morrison for making himself available to jump for SO S Hudson so that he could attend last weeks committee meeting. Also, thanks to Craig Dally, Operations Manager Central Comcen who facilitated and enabled the Comcen rep Kevin Dorgan to attend.
Members will be aware of the problems (historic) that have occurred at Waitemata Station.
Collective Agreement Negotiations 6 days of negotiations were completed on 9 February with the Union putting a final position to Fire Service negotiators to take back to the Commission.
Union Representatives (Steve Warner, Athol Conway, Peter Nicolle, Jim Ryburn and Derek Best) met with Fire Service representatives (Vince Arbuckle, Russell Wood, Ian Pickard and Bill Butzbach) on 15 and 16 January to commence bargaining.
The decision on the Fire Service appeal against the Employment Court ruling was delivered on 21 December 2006 at 4.00pm. The decision, on a split 2-1, upheld the appeal.
The Union is concerned that on a unilateral basis, the Fire Service has put out instructions to Managers regarding some of the new provisions in the renewed Collective Agreement.
This is to advise members that the Auckland Local will be holding a Special Meeting as detailed below:
Members are reminded to notify Comcen should the crew of the day (on High Angle Appliances) not have an appropriate and safe amount of trained personnel. If you still get responded to HAR calls, request Porirua 317 be attached. This will ensure that a crew of fully trained personnel will be on scene.
The Local has been made aware that heavy steel cylinders are being used on appliances to cover a shortfall in the light alloy cylinders. This shortfall is another example of mis-management surrounding the new 300bar cylinders and filling panels.
A very successful 2006 Conference was held in Wellington 21 – 23 November.
Members are advised that early in December 2006 there will be a General Local Meeting to discuss the contract negotiation claims. The time, date and location TBA next week. Members are asked to discuss issues that the negotiation team can take to Fire Service management. These will be collated on a regional basis through branch meetings then nationally.
In the past there has been a need for the Local to obtain “Union Stand-Ins” for the Executive (see Appendix A attached).
Some clarification on issues raised by members is provided.
The Union is aware there are a number of concerns, questions and misunderstandings regarding the detail of the proposed Collective Agreement settlement.
Local meetings are presently being organized for the purpose of a Ratification Ballot on a proposed settlement reached between the National Committee and the Fire Service.
Members will recall that the Local disputed Wellington District management’s stance on travel payments when members undertake travel at station other than their own, especially when that station is closer to their residence. The Local can now confirm that its stance was entirely correct and District management have conceded that all those payments withheld from members will be paid.
All workers ought to be seriously disturbed at the actions of Progressive Enterprises management in locking out 600 workers who work in the company’s four distribution centers.
An incident occurred between Yellow Watch staff and the Waitemata Volunteers (November 2005), during which the Yellow Watch crew were exposed to intimidation, harassment and a Professional Firefighter was threatened with physical violence by a group of Waitemata Volunteers.
The Auckland Local does not support the removal of aerial appliance response from predetermined attendance.
The members of the Fire Brigades Union of United Kingdom, especially in the Merseyside brigade have once again come under attack from their employer. Their employer has proposed 10% job cuts and reductions in fire cover.
There seems to be a divergence from past practice and agreements in Wellington Fire District regarding travel payments whilst on Overtime. The Local has taken up members concerns with CFO Graham. The Local has informed Mr. Graham that the e mails and statements by DCFO Dunphy are quite incorrect and we have asked that all monies owed to members, be paid ASAP. Members are advised that the paying of travel money dates back quite some time when the Fire Service transported FF’s and their PPE to the station they were due to attend for OT.
There have been a number of formal and informal discussions with the Fire Service since the negotiations were last reported on.
As per the attached Ballot Declaration Form, I hereby declare: