NZPFU members have plenty to say on FENZ restructure and submissions continue to flood in
NZPFU has received hundreds of submissions and they keep coming in. And it’s not too late to get the remaining submissions in!
NZPFU has received hundreds of submissions and they keep coming in. And it’s not too late to get the remaining submissions in!
All Locals have been sent the free t-shirts for Members who have provided to the NZPFU their personal contact details (mobile and email).
Professional career firefighters put their health and lives on the line every time they respond.
Today Station Officers are receiving letters notifying them that under the restructure proposals they are “impacted” as their line management would change from reporting to Assistant Area Managers to Group Managers.
Members covered by Part 4 of the FENZ NZPFU collective agreement have overwhelming voted in support of the variation which includes a 5% salary increase.
Due to FENZ’s the two-day extension for responses to submissions, the NZPFU would appreciate all members’ submissions to be submitted to the NZPFU by COB Monday 14 October.
The NZPFU has been continuing to pursue safer hose testing practices as a result of the serious injury suffered by an Auckland firefighter earlier this year.
Yesterday we highlighted the disadvantage to professional career firefighters in the consultation process on the proposal which will allow for non-qualified, untrained and inexperienced personnel to have preference for roles that are currently professional career firefighting roles. Our notice to members detailed the significant disadvantage of rostered leave which had some professional career firefighters having as little as two day shifts and three night shifts during the consultation period to access the FENZ documentation and supplementary information and respond while still maintaining their response to the community.
The NZPFU has been seeking an extension of consultation timeframes for professional career firefighters since the consultation proposal was released.
To those members who attended the special meeting at Tauranga Fire Station on Friday 4th. Thank You.
The Hamilton Local expresses its deepest sympathies at the sudden death of former National Commander Mike Hall.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and what better way to show our support for the thousands of women each year who are diagnosed with breast cancer, than by going PINK!
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) is saddened to advise members of the sudden and tragic death of Mike Hall, ex Chief Executive/National Commander of the New Zealand Fire Service.
A discussion group will be formed shortly that will have representatives from the Local and Management.
Members have turned out en mass to get the real story from the NZPFU National Council and Committee Representatives as well as insights from our subject matter experts on FENZ's proposed restructure.
The Tauranga Local is becoming increasingly concerned with the reliability and performance of our operational vehicle fleet. As well as following normal reporting processes we are asking members to please record in writing, instances where vehicles have failed or not been fit for purpose. If operations were adversely affected, strategies and tactics changed, public/personnel or property put at risk, service delivery impacted or excessive time lost we want to know.
The NZPFU has been holding membership meetings around the country to inform members of the attacks on your safe systems of work through the FENZ “proposals for our organisational structure and approach to rank” which was released last Wednesday. The proposal will enable FENZ to appoint non-qualified, inexperienced and untrained civilians into positions currently known as Assistant Area Managers and Area Managers/Commanders and are proposed to be named Group Managers and District Managers. Your health and safety and the response to the community is under attack when a proposal enables FENZ to have non-qualified, untrained and inexperienced personnel manage career firefighters and stations, and are able to take command at an incident.
I really feel moved to tell you all that we really appreciate the great work you are all doing to keep, not only the Public and their property safe, but yourselves and your crews safe as well.
The Local wishes to show it’s appreciation to those who were able to attend one of the meetings on Monday.
The NZPFU National Executive and Tauranga / Kawerau Locals have called an urgent general meeting with members to discuss the recent organisational structure proposals and what it means for members. This is a chance to get a better understanding of the consultation proposals that will impact our roles in the future from our NZPFU National Exec as well as getting guidance on the process to provide feedback. This meeting is open to all NZPFU members.
The NZPFU National Executive and Tauranga / Kawerau Locals have called an urgent general meeting with members to discuss the recent organisational structure proposals and what it means for members. This is a chance to get a better understanding of the consultation proposals that will impact our roles in the future from our NZPFU National Exec as well as getting guidance on the process to provide feedback. This meeting is open to all NZPFU members.
The NZPFU National Executive and the Hamilton local have called an urgent general meeting to discuss the organisational structure proposals and what it means for members.
National Committee met under urgency yesterday at our National Office, our Lawyers were in attendance as were FECA reps to discuss a plan of attack to protect the profession of Firefighting and the safe systems of response for the safety of the community.
As members should be aware FENZ has recently released the document “Building Fire and Emergency New Zealand – proposals for our organisational structure and approach to rank”
The ratification process for the proposal to vary Part 4 of the FENZ and NZPFU Agreement for Uniformed and Communications Centre Employees commenced today.
Today at midday FENZ released its proposed organisational restructure which plans to decimate the current rank and role structures in order to put non-career firefighters at the helm of operations. If this proposal goes ahead it will herald an era of the disestablishment of a professional career fire and emergency service resulting in dire consequences for your health and safety and the safety of the public.
Members have been previously advised that the 9 October pay will include the 2% pay increase, and that the backpay (1 July 2019-9 October 2019) will be paid on 23 October 2019.
Members will be aware that there is currently a new transfer process under trial throughout Areas 3, 4 and 5.
A last minute decision to go for a walk on Moturiki Island, led to Adrian Hopcroft saving a girl from falling off the blowhole.
As Local Secretary of the Auckland Local, I certify that the following Remits and Life Honorary Membership nominations were successfully passed at our current AGM for consideration at the November 2019 NZPFU Annual Conference.
FENZ has notified the NZPFU of the process for distributing the pending consultation document detailing the Tranche 2 and Tranche 2B proposals.
The NZPFU Council have been touring the country attending AGMs briefing members on the attacks on the professionalism of firefighting.
NZPFU National President Ian Wright and National Secretary Wattie Watson have taken every opportunity to see IAFF health and safety initiatives and programmes while in the USA for the IAFF Redmond’s Health and Safety conference.
As Members are aware the NZPFU has notified of a dispute on proposed changes to rank and command structures, and gave notice to FENZ that their intended consultation processes would be in breach of the NZPFU collective agreement.
Members are reminded of the importance of calling for an aerial appliance to respond early in an incident if one has not already been dispatched by Firecom.
Members are advised of the option of using the K-10 radio message to advise Firecom and on-call executives of a crew’s attendance at a traumatic incident or event. This will place the appliance out of commission, allowing the crew to return to station to recommission and debrief an event, or seek additional help as required, without the appliance having to be responded to another incident.
Members are reminded that cooking fires are not automatically false alarms but, in fact, structure fires with no structural damage, for the purpose of incident reporting.
FENZ commanders are united with the NZPFU in our bid to protect critical rank and command structures.
The NZPFU is deeply concerned that the health and safety of firefighters and the protection of the community will be put at risk with FENZ’s restructure. Today we notified FENZ of a dispute requiring the resolution of rank and command issues before any move to consult on a restructure.
All NZPFU members covered by the Uniformed and Communications Centre Employees Collective Agreement will receive a 2% pay increase backdated to 1 July 2019 as a result of the annual review of market wage rates. All allowances will also be increased by 2%.
I hereby declare Samuel White elected Nelson Local Vice-President.
Subsequent to a number of discussions between NZPFU trainer and training reps, Norm Gilroy, Greg Lee and James Hall and NTC Management, some members of the Training Leadership Team and NTC staff, FENZ have agreed to relax the original instructions of allowing trainers who stay for a continual 8 weeks before they have the opportunity of utilising accommodation with self-catering OR hotel accommodation down to 8 weeks per year, not 8 continual weeks as currently being used. Self-catering accommodation is also quite a bit more expensive than the costs offered by the hotels, but FENZ’s focus is not on money, but more about staff welfare and comfort.
In accordance with the Rules of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union INC, I am obliged to inform you that in accordance with Rule B 11.7, I declare Peter Jack Harwood duly elected, unopposed for the position of Central Branch Vice President.
In numerous communications over the past 6 months the NZPFU have declared that rank, role and command is not negotiable as it protects the health and safety of firefighters and the community. The protection of the professionalism of firefighting is not parochial, it is the protection of safe systems of work ensuring the appropriately trained, qualified and experienced personnel are deployed for response, and manage the systems in preparation of response. It is not “divisive” to respect and recognise the qualifications, experience and skills of professional firefighters. It is critical for the core functions of FENZ to be achieved safely.
The energy and commitment to be part of a dynamic union structure representing the interests of our members was evident in the recent Local elections.
