Today at 12 noon, NZPFU members will walk off the job for one hour, striking for safe systems of work and pleading with FENZ to prioritise community protection and safety.

To support the NZPFU members go to: www.direemergency.nz

FENZ and the NZPFU met in bargaining this week.  The NZPFU put up two different proposals for discussion – FENZ rejected both and did not move at all from their position.

That is not negotiating.  That is disrespectful to our members and the work and service they provide.

FENZ was playing a game to bolster their application for facilitation.  FENZ filed an urgent application in October and last week the hearing was adjourned until 25^th November 2025. 

The NZPFU is opposing the application for facilitation as that will only serve to delay any hope of proper negotiations and settlement. 

We do not need facilitation.  We need FENZ to genuinely bargain. 

We have asked FENZ to jointly present to those influencing the bargaining including the Public Services Commissioner but they refuse to do so.

FENZ is telling the public that the strike action puts the community at risk.

FENZ rolls that dice on risk every day with aging and failing fleet and equipment and insufficient staffing which results in fire trucks responding under-crewed, or not responding due to lack of staff.

FENZ’s own promotions warn that in less than 3 minutes a house fire can take hold and devastate the home and everyone in it yet FENZ won’t address these serious systemic failures that directly impact on crews arriving on scene resourced and in time!

Just this week an Otara crew was stuck in station with a fire truck that could not move due to a brake issue.  They were trying to respond to a house fire one minute up the road.  Had anyone needed rescuing the next arriving truck was 8 minutes away. 

Some of the issues the Union has raised in bargaining (in addition to fair and reasonable wages):

• Consultation – the Union has a series of legal cases on foot due to FENZ breaching the consultation clause.  Just last week FENZ again breached consultation requirements – which includes consulting on whether change should occur not just the implications of the change – slashing more than 100 jobs and pulling critical support necessary for firefighter training and community risk reduction work.
• Occupational cancer – the Union continues to fight for appropriate mitigation for exposures to toxins and carcinogens and the proper management of occupational cancer claims so that firefighters and those exposed to the hazards of a fire ground are able to access medical care and support that they would for any other work-related injury.
• Firefighter/end user direct input all the way through an appliance strategy to ensure that the right trucks are bought at the right times with a maintenance management plan and break-down registers for the safety and health of all those responding in those appliances.  Daily those trucks are breaking down and FENZ does not have a replacement programme but buy trucks ad hoc and do it badly with trucks arriving out of warranty and without sufficient space to store necessary equipment.
• Safe systems of work include safe staffing.  The Union wants to record establishment of all positions in all locations so we can at least start with an agreed basis of necessary minimum staffing.  
  
  - FENZ rolls the dice daily on whether minimum staffing can be achieved. Wellington in just one area where regularly trucks are offline and stations closed due to FENZ’s failure to employ sufficient career firefighters. To top it off they have cancelled January’s recruit course.
  - There is often insufficient staff for the three 111 emergency call dispatch centres. Recently Auckland was unstaffed leaving Wellington and Christchurch to handle the country’s calls putting unreasonable pressure and workloads on the few that are rostered on.
• Safe training of firefighters – FENZ currently does not have one safe hot fire facility for training.  This places the trainers and trainee firefighters at risk.  This is critical training that FENZ has driven into the ground.
• Volunteer Support Officer numbers – volunteers look after volunteer stations in many ways including ensuring they have the equipment, uniform and support for training.  The workloads have increased markedly since FENZ restructured in 2020 to unsafe levels resulting in some driving considerable distances and long hours.
• Those working in Risk Reduction needed a process where they were directly involved in assessing their current roles and descriptions including caps on senior roles.  In stead FENZ has ridden rough shod with a restructure last week which decimates support necessary for them to undertake their roles, and requires everyone to reapply for their position.
• The Health, Safety and Wellbeing team are being denied access to a collective agreement with the NZPFU.  FENZ is refusing to include them in the bargaining even though they are NZPFU members and work closely with the firefighters in particular.
• Those that look after key training and response resources like hoses are also being denied the right to have a collective employment agreement by FENZ.
• Health and wellbeing – the NZPFU has a range of claims necessary to be proactive in monitoring occupational disease, future-protect income protection, and mental health initiatives.  The NZPFU membership pay the costs of our own members attending mental health programmes and we are just asking FENZ to fund their wages, travel and expenses for the duration of that programme.  
• FENZ relies heavily on NZPFU members to use their mobile phones for work purposes – all we are asking is some form of allowance or compensation for the costs of a personal mobile phone and plan.

In addition to Friday’s strike, the NZPFU has given notice of full one-hour stoppages from 12 noon on Friday 28^th and December 5^th.

In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary