This week, FENZ abandoned the bargaining by unilaterally declaring that bargaining had run its course. Their behaviour has demonstrated that FENZ was just biding its time, only providing an offer in June which did not reflect their own claims. Why? So that they could claim they have made savings by refusing any form of backdating on any matters including wage increases.

The FENZ 13 June offer does not address fundamental health, safety and wellbeing issues that in other forums FENZ has agreed need to be resolved,  and has also agreed on solutions but is now refusing to implement.

It was a bizarre situation on Tuesday morning.  The day before FENZ had proposed a change and were to spend Monday afternoon drafting up an amended offer for the Union to put out to members.  Instead, on Tuesday morning FENZ raised a completely new issue/concept that had not been raised or claimed previously in bargaining.  The NZPFU considered the proposal and provided evidence in support of the Union’s position which included a counter proposal.  FENZ asked for time to consider the counter proposal and after having done so FENZ called the Union back in the room to declare that bargaining had run its course and they would no longer continue to bargain with the NZPFU.

FENZ has now been exposed as doing everything in its power not to settle.  The NZPFU strongly believes that even before bargaining commenced on Monday that FENZ had determined it would walk away no matter what was said or achieved. 

The Union believes FENZ panicked as they had put up some additional funding on Monday and Tuesday but did not want to reach a settlement on that basis.

FENZ has falsely claimed that bargaining had taken its course… In reality the parties were only starting to negotiate…

• FENZ has provided one offer dated 13 June 2025.  There was no negotiation of that offer and the offer did not even reflect FENZ’s own claims it put forward at the commencement of bargaining last year.
• Given the 13 June offer did not reflect FENZ’s own claims, FENZ could have presented it at the start of bargaining in 2024.  It chose not to as it did not want to settle in 2024 as want to claim the delays will save it millions in wages.
• 99% of NZPFU members who voted at membership meetings rejected that offer.  Monday and Tuesday was the first time to meet and try and move forward since the massive rejection of that offer.
• In July FENZ proposed and the NZPFU accepted bargaining dates for September and October.  FENZ offered those dates knowing that the following week the union was holding the membership meetings which resulted in 99% rejecting the offer. 
• Monday and Tuesday were the first bargaining session since FENZ knew their offer had been rejected.  The parties were actually negotiating on a proposal and counter proposal.  
• FENZ has failed to give the Union vital information we have requested including correspondence with the Public Services Commission regarding the bargaining.  FENZ has also refused to provide financial information that is vital for the Union to have in order for FENZ to verify some of its claims and for the Union  to be able to cost claims.   The information requested might have assisted with reaching a settlement.

This FENZ’ bargaining team’s duplicitous conduct appears to be sanctioned by FENZ senior leadership with Janine Hearn sending out an email that deliberately distorts the reality of the bargaining.  Note that Janine is not part of the bargaining team.

• Janine Hearn wrongly claimed the parties had been bargaining since June.  The first bargaining meeting took place on the 5^th September 2024.  Between June and September the parties were not bargaining.  We were in pre-bargaining meetings to try and agree to a bargaining process.  FENZ reneged on agreements reached in the room and so no bargaining process agreement was reached.  
• FENZ has only agreed to sporadic dates and this year has only agreed to a couple of days a month.
• Janine wrongly claims there have been 36 days of bargaining.  There have been 29 days of bargaining. 
• FENZ proposed 4 more days in September and October but clearly had no intention of meeting.
• FENZ took the first 8 days of bargaining to set out FENZ’s own claims.   It is now clear FENZ was stalling and wasting time the 13 June 2025 offer does not reflect its claims or the listed outcomes it sought.  In fact the 13 June offer contradicted issues FENZ had claimed they wanted to address.
• FENZ responded to the NZPFU claims formally on the 28^th March.  It then took them another three months to provide an offer.
• The offer on the table is not 5.1% over three years.   The NZPFU members have not had a pay increase since July 2023.  The offer averages out at 1% p.a. over 5 years if it had been ratified on 1 July 2025 and was a three year agreement.

FENZ has no intention of settling. 

FENZ deliberately waited nearly a year to make an offer in order to make savings on the backs of firefighters, 111 emergency centre dispatchers, volunteer support officers, trainers,  those working in risk reduction or working in health/safety/wellbeing, and those that manage those roles.

The NZPFU industrial action commences on 11 August (see notices below).  NZPFU is meeting with Locals in preparation of that action.

In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary