FENZ management have issued instructions that firefighters wearing NZPFU t-shirts instead of FENZ t-shirts are not to undertake usual fire safety duties including installing smoke alarms and school visits.

This is a shockingly petty call by FENZ management to try and pressure firefighters at the expense of necessary fire safety programmes that particularly benefit children and the elderly.

As part of usual duties professional career firefighters:

• undertake home fire safety visits which include installing smoke alarms and discuss fire safety including escape plans,
• provide FireWise programmes in schools teaching kids to get down, get low and get out (formally the stop, drop and roll education),
• welcomed pre-schoolers and community groups like scouts and guides onto stations teaching them to be fire wise,
• attend community events to hand out information and sometimes staff stalls to provide a focus on fire safety.

NZPFU have been undertaking lawful industrial action since 11 August 2025 which includes wearing union-provided t-shirts.  Since August 11 they have continued to provide hundreds of home fire safety visits and FireWise programmes without issue or incident.  The only difference is they are wearing a NZPFU t-shirt rather than a FENZ t-shirt as all other uniform remains the same.

FENZ is trying to coerce firefighters to take off their union t-shirts in order to do the fire safety visits and education - otherwise managers are instructed to stop them going.

Members are advised that the wearing of the union t-shirts is lawful industrial action and they cannot be punished or disadvantaged for doing so.

We ask FENZ to stop this petty retaliatory behaviour and to remove the instruction.

Fire safety is more important – and putting firefighters to the test like this is only harmful to their moral and wellbeing.

In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary