FENZ RULES OUT PROPOSED THIRD-PARTY ASSISTANCE AND ANY JOINT PRESENTATIONS TO SETTLE THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The NZPFU FENZ bargaining is currently in abeyance with no bargaining dates agreed.
The parties met for facilitated bargaining on 7 occasions with the last session on the 13th February 2026. Facilitation has been adjourned and, from the NZPFU’s perspective, that process was not successful.
In a bid to find a pathway to more constructive discussions, the NZPFU wrote to FENZ post the February NZPFU membership meetings, proposing a new process involving a highly respected and experienced third party who was pivotal to the settlement reached in 2022. Due to the history of their involvement, this third party would only need updating on the current circumstances, context, and claims. The NZPFU proposed a process where the third party’s role would be to assist in the development of a joint proposal to tackle the major barriers to settlement, including joint-party presentations for any relevant approvals needed in the context of current Government “guidelines”.
Today, FENZ has outright rejected the involvement of that party “given his past history with the parties”. Surely that history and knowledge of FENZ and the NZPFU, and knowledge of many of the issues being raised in bargaining, is the very reason he should be involved.
At the time of the 2022 settlement, FENZ CE Kerry Gregory welcomed the settlement, recognising the work of the third party in achieving the settlement. He said he was excited by the settlement as it addressed “significant change in the working environment for firefighters… and addresses key issues”. Those key issues included agreed processes to address safe staffing and the appalling state of the fire fleet.
FENZ has since reneged on the “agreement in principle” for more than 200 additional firefighters, and the necessary increase of 111 emergency call centre dispatchers, and the continued failing fire fleet speaks for itself.
In an email yesterday, FENZ has ruled out any possibility of joint presentations for any necessary approvals for a sustainable settlement without even first meeting to explore this option or the issues that could be canvassed.
FENZ is refusing to meet with the NZPFU other than in facilitation, and only on the condition that the NZPFU withdraws all industrial action and commits to no future action.
In a 5th March 2026 email, FENZ CE Kerry Gregory wrote, “my bargaining team have reviewed our position and are working up a new offer. We are planning for the offer to be tabled at facilitation” and “on condition of returning to facilitation with a new offer we ask that the NZPFU withdraw all industrial action, and commit to pausing future action while the facilitation process is ongoing.”
The NZPFU responded stating it was willing to meet in bargaining (not facilitation) for FENZ to put its revised position.
Now, Kerry Gregory has U-turned, with no reference to FENZ’s “revised position”, now claiming that the NZPFU has to present a revised offer first and then facilitation to be scheduled.
The NZPFU will not be gaslighted.
The NZPFU put up a series of different positions and options throughout facilitation. As facilitation is confidential, we cannot go into detail, but suffice to say nothing we proposed on the big issues was palatable for FENZ.
Yesterday, in a virtual meeting, the NZPFU asked FENZ CE Kerry Gregory and Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler if we could just agree to bargaining dates, without our proposed third person if that was a barrier for them, and not in facilitation, so FENZ could table their revised position.
We did not get a definitive response – Megan Stiffler thanked us for setting out our expectations.
Kerry had to call the meeting to a close due to a pre-arranged meeting with “The Minister”. Let’s hope he was asking the Minister for some flexibility around guidelines that should not be applicable to the circumstances of our membership.
The NZPFU is, and always is, willing to talk and negotiate. If FENZ has a revised offer, they can send it to the union or table it in bargaining.
If that offer includes the necessary protections of safe systems of work (safe staffing of all work groups, and direct involvement in the whole process of planning and procurement of necessary fire appliances), necessary protections for training, expressly recognises occupational cancer and provides mechanisms for access to mental health programmes in the collective, allows for members not currently covered to be covered by the collective agreement, and provides for fair and reasonable wages recognising that our members have not had a pay increase since July 2023, then we might be on the pathway to settlement.
The NZPFU has withdrawn the industrial action that did not affect emergency response because our low-paid membership could not sustain ongoing loss of 10% of their wages.
The NZPFU will continue with the one-hour full stoppages despite FENZ threatening to deduct wages for that hour.
In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary
