Southern Branch Election Result
I hereby declare Mark Thomas Leonard elected NZPFU Southern Branch Secretary.
I hereby declare Mark Thomas Leonard elected NZPFU Southern Branch Secretary.
Members have been requesting information about the Covid-19 vaccination booster shots.
FENZ has distributed a Covid-19 risk assessment for “consultation” which is a sham.
The Auckland Local wishes all members a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. A reminder that the Auckland Office will be closed from the afternoon of 23 December 2021, re-opening on 10 January 2022.
On behalf of the Executive of the Northern Branch, we wish all members and their families a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
T'is the season to be jolly – and t'is the time to appreciate NZPFU members and their elected union representatives!
By closing date for nomination for the position of Central Branch Vice-President, the following eligible nominations were received.
FENZ “instructions” that “all personnel who wish to attend a training event as a trainee, trainer, setter or facilitator must be double vaccinated and have their vaccine pass available for scanning” are unlawful and are being challenged by the NZPFU.
A Team Management Profile Questionnaire (TMP) is being distributed for some NZPFU members to complete.
Recently FireSuper Board Chair Denis Fitzmaurice engaged in a video discussion with NZPFU National Vice President Joseph Stanley and National Secretary Wattie Watson on options for FireSuper members when leaving FENZ.
Nominations are called for the position of Secretary for the Southern Branch.
The Covid-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Bill was passed under urgency within 24 hours of the Bill being introduced into Parliament. Amid controversy and opposition the Bill easily passed with the support of Labour and Greens.
The Hawkes Bay Local hosted the 33rd NZPFU Annual Conference in Napier this week.
The continued lack of planning, procurement and management of aerial appliances continues to put our communities at risk. For most of this week, Hamilton and the greater Waikato area will be without the heavy aerial Snorkel and its relief as the snorkel will be undergoing its scheduled service and repair work which takes the appliance off the road for at least 3 days.
Continuing on with our series of video presentations, NZPFU National Secretary Wattie Watson and Vice President Joe Stanley are joined by FireSuper Board Chairman Denis Fitzmaurice.
NZPFU unvaccinated members affected by the mandatory vaccination order now have the choice of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccinations. This week the Government announced those covered by a mandatory vaccination order and those that were advised not to have the Pfizer vaccine on medical grounds will be given priority.
All FENZ personnel covered by the mandatory health order must have at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination before 29 November 2021 and second dose by 14 January 2022 to continue working in their roles.
FENZ has been granted a two-week extension to the implementation of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order (No 3) 2021.
FENZ has determined it will pay up to two weeks’ paid special leave from the 16th November 2021 for declared unvaccinated workers covered by the mandatory health order. That paid special leave is on the condition the employee actively engages in consultation about any alternative duties and options during that period.
The Local is well aware of the psychological and financial implications that this 11-week lock down has had on our members.
FENZ’s failure to employ the professional career firefighters necessary to maintain minimum staffing across New Zealand in peace time is a primary reason it cannot sustain even a small drop in firefighters during this Covid-19 crisis.
The Covid-19 vaccination debate has been toxic and harmful at work and in our personal lives. NZPFU National Secretary Wattie Watson talks to Clinical Pyschologist Catherine Gallagher about why we have developed and harboured such strong views in this crisis and what we need to think about if we want to keep our mates and partners.
Members will be well aware that Aerial appliances continue to be a problem right around the country. Local Areas are often being left without the vital specialist fire protection and rescue capabilities that these vehicles provide.
Members who have previously confidentially notified me as not vaccinated or unlikely to be vaccinated should have received an email last night. If you are not vaccinated and not intending to be vaccinated on or by the 15th November 2021, and want the NZPFU to advocate on your behalf then please follow these instructions.
Members have been seeking clarification on the process for declaration of vaccination status.
These are extraordinary and unprecedented times, challenging us in every way. While I know that people will be feeling the growing pressure and tension of Covid 19 and the recent vaccination mandate, I am completely confident that we will move through this.
With Auckland remaining at Level 3 in the Covid-19 lockdown, the Auckland Local has made the decision to conduct this year’s Annual General Meeting via zoom on Wednesday 3 November commencing at 10 a.m.
On Thursday the NZPFU notified members employed as firefighters and in the community resilience/risk reduction roles to expect to be notified that their work came within the scope of the Health Order requiring mandatory vaccinations.
Recently the NZPFU asked members to send in questions that they wanted an expert to answer regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations.
The determination of the work captured by the Mandatory Vaccination Order gazetted on Friday is well underway. Yesterday we met with FENZ and other representative agencies to discuss the scope and application of the Order.
The NZPFU is receiving reports from members appointed to the Community Risk & Recovery (CRR) and Risk Reduction (RR) and Advisor and Senior Advisor roles are being told to train and mentor those appointed in more senior positions above them.
UPDATE: AS A RESULT OF NZPFU INTERVENTION FENZ HAS NOW REMOVED THE OFFENDING QUESTIONAIRE FROM HOMEBASE THIS AFTERNOON. WE HAVE RETAINED THE BELOW INFORMATION ON THE QUESTIONAIRE SO THAT MEMBERS’ ARE FULLY AWARE OF ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED SHOULD THE MANDATORY ORDER APPLY TO MEMBERS’ WORK.
Keeping up with Covid-19 pandemic fashion has just got easier for NZPFU members with the arrival of our first shipment of NZPFU masks.
An amendment to the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021 is expected to be Gazetted this Friday. The NZPFU understands the Order is still being finalised but the Government’s intention is to finalise the Order to be Gazetted this week.
With Auckland remaining at Level 3 in the Covid-19 lockdown, the Auckland Local has made the decision to conduct this year’s Annual General Meeting via zoom on Wednesday 3 November commencing at 10 a.m.
It is increasingly understood that the repeated exposure to trauma impacts on mental health and wellbeing, but the extent organisational structures and working environments contribute to that stress is not widely understood.
We have NZPFU members with views across the spectrum on the issue of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Some have made their decision, some are still looking for answers. We have organised a Q and A session for those with questions to be answered.
We have still not received any confirmation from Government of the scope and impact of any pending mandatory vaccination orders. The NZPFU National Committee met this afternoon to discuss the issues that would arise if an applicable mandatory vaccination order was implemented, and the various scenarios our members would face.
This afternoon Minister Chris Hipkins announced a Cabinet decision to require teachers and most healthcare workers to be Covid-19 vaccinated. The Minister specifically referred to a range of roles in the health sector including paramedics but firefighters were not mentioned.
In 2020 the NZPFU and FENZ agreed to a Covid-19 voluntary vaccination roll-out plan that also protected the right of personnel to keep their vaccination-status confidential.
Due to the Auckland borders remaining in place we have decided to further postpone the NZPFU to commemorate 40 years of professional career women firefighters.
It has been brought to the Auckland Local’s attention that it has been discovered that the TFT 25mm Gforce hosereel nozzles are designed to a European specification, which is for low pressure nozzles, and have a maximum working pressure of 16 bar (1600 kPa) instead of the hose reel pressure version specified at 40 bar (4000 kPa).
The Government has announced proposed changes to ACC that will impact on firefighters’ occupational disease and cancer claims but does not go far enough.
I hereby declare: Bradley Kenneth Johnston, Elected Invercargill Local Vice President.
Members have reported some Managers are intending to apply the transfers and vacancies policy across the new larger districts. Managers cannot unilaterally impose this change. There are provisions in the NZPFU collective agreement that must be considered and applied.
This week, Tāmaki Makaurau will lose some of its most experienced and long serving Commanders through retirement.
Due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions, the NZPFU hosted celebration to commemorate 40 years of career women firefighters will now be held on 12 October 2021.
The following letter of support has been received from the Central Branch of the NZPFU.
Trainers are advised it is not in their best interests to provide a FENZ online evaluation (survey) to trainees.
This last year has been one of uncertainty, with a generational change in the structure of the administration side of our organisation.
The lack of planning and procurement of aerial appliances continues to bite around the country. For the rest of this week Christchurch will be without a heavy aerial as it will be undergoing its scheduled annual certification which takes the appliance off the road for at least 3 days.
Nominations are hereby called from Union Members for Local Committee position as below.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Centre.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the first women career firefighters in the Commonwealth – Anne Barry and the late Liz England.