Update on Auckland Station Bubbles
The Local is well aware of the psychological and financial implications that this 11-week lock down has had on our members.
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.
The NZPFU advises all members not to use the QSI masks and instead to only use the 3M masks issued.
As advised in Auckland Local Notice to Members 21-53 dated 2 August 2021, Fire and Emergency has recently asked for nominations for the 2021 Te Hiku Celebrating Success Awards.
Covid-19 restrictions can result in unexpected or new issues arising. Members can always seek union support and representation if there are personal circumstances that require assistance.
Last month FENZ released its proposed Technical Competency Framework with a deadline of 5pm on 19 September 2021 for feedback.
The Tauranga Local AGM will be held on Thursday 16th September @ 8.30am venue TBC.
Once again, due to years of neglect and mismanagement, Auckland’s high reach aerial fleet is down to just one.
Three days of bargaining were postponed due to the national lockdown. Bargaining will recommence this week through virtual meetings. It is not ideal but the best option to avoid lengthy delays.
It’s been a minute, firstly, I feel extremely privileged to have been re-elected as President for the NZPFU. It is an honour to be elected into my second term as president and I am looking forward to working with Joe Stanley on a number of pressing issues as well as building on the important foundation work we have already done over the last three years.
The NZPFU has confirmed with the National Commander that VSOs are not to be expected to pick up additional workloads when Tranche 2 stands up next month. Unreasonable workloads are a health and safety issue.
In April this year an investigation into complaints made by firefighters against management behaviour at one station ticked over its three year anniversary. By 30 April this year FENZ had spent $174,428.39 excluding GST on the investigation – more than $162,000 was paid to the investigator and $11,662 spent on staff travel and accommodation.
Recently the NZPFU became aware of a FENZ Subject Matter Expert role description which blatantly discriminated against union representatives.
Earlier this year the NZPFU walked away from the supposed “design” of a Technical Competency Framework (TCF) as it was fundamentally flawed as discussions were based around avoiding current rank and command requirements so that FENZ could appoint non-qualified or insufficiently experienced personnel to the ranks of Commander and Assistant Commander.
With NZ plunging back into Level 4 across the country from tonight, we will recommence our Covid-19 communications system commencing with a 1300hrs conference call tomorrow (Wednesday) 18 August.
The NZPFU’s challenge of FENZ’s interpretation of “relevant daily pay” for the purposes of calculating public holiday payments heads into mediation on Tuesday.
So much for being in one waka… doing the right thing… serving and supporting… being better together!
The NZPFU and FENZ have a three-day bargaining meeting scheduled for next week and it is at that meeting FENZ will respond to the NZPFU claims.
Further to our earlier Notice to Members ALC-21-52 regarding the NZPFU 2022 Diary, we have received advice from a number of our members requesting a copy of the diary.
Members have reported a survey circulating by a Massey University student seeking firefighters to participate. The survey and research is about the cumulative trauma and self-regulation of PTSI symptoms, depression and suicide by NZ firefighters.
The Taupo Local advise members their AGM will be held on station at 5pm on the 23rd of August.