2014 Market Rate Review for Staff Employed on the NZPFU Collective Agreement
The Collective Agreement (CA) agreed between the Fire Service and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union in 2013 prescribes a review of market rates in May of each year that the agreement remains in force.
The 2014 market rates have been now been reviewed using the same approach that was applied when the new rates were established in 2013, including the annual market movement for the peer group that was used in 2012 to benchmark firefighter pay.
The average peer group movement for the year to March 2014 is 2.26%. However, the NZPFU proposed an increase to this adjustment to 2.5% in recognition of the particular role of fire fighters.
The following outcomes have been agreed between the NZFS and the NZPFU:
1. An increase of 2.5%, with effect from 1 July 2014, to each of the following:
- Total Weekly Wage (TWW) rates for all Firefighter and Officer grades set out in Part 5 of the CA with the exception of the grand-parented rates in tables 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E and 7F.
- Remuneration rates for those Black Watch positions covered by Part 4 of CE.
- Allowance rates set out in Part 5 of the CEA.
- Remuneration rates for Communicators and Shift Managers as set out in Part 3 of the CEA.
2. The increase to the Part 3 and Part 4 rates is being implemented at this time to ensure these groups are not disadvantaged while the Part 3 and Part 4 Working Parties are still in progress.
3. Under clause 3.g of the Record of Agreement (dated 10 /09/13), fire fighters have achieved a 16 % reduction in the short term sickness absence levels to an average of 5.80 shifts per person for the period 1 May 2013 to 30 April 2014. This is notably more than the agreed 10% reduction to 6.25 required to implement the increase in overtime rates for 2014.
4. The updated rates also include:
- The previously agreed transition of officers to 95% of the agreed market rate
- An increase in the calculation of the overtime rates for:
- Firefighters - to 1.2 times the standard hourly rate for the first three hours of all overtime worked on a weekday, and before 12pm on a Saturday
- Officers – to 1.1 times the standard hourly rate for the first three hours of all overtime worked on a weekday, and before 12pm on a Saturday
- For the avoidance of doubt, the following overtime rates will continue to be calculated at the same rates as applied in 2013 but they will be adjusted
by the increase in the hourly rate. The calculation rates are:
- Firefighters
- 1.33 times the standard hourly rates for all overtime worked in excess of the first three hours, and all overtime worked after 12pm on a Saturday, or at any other time on a Sunday
- 1.5 times the standard hourly rate for all overtime worked on a public holiday
- Officers
- 1.3 times the standard hourly rates for all overtime worked in excess of the first three hours, and all overtime worked after 12pm on a Saturday, or at any other time on a Sunday
- 1.5 times the standard hourly rate for all overtime worked on a public holiday
- Transition of those firefighters and officers currently on grand-parented grades to the grades in Tables 2A and 2B, where their current paid rate has been overtaken by the market movement in the permanent grade. All grand-parented staff will transition to the substantive grades from 1 July 2014 with the exception of those Qualified Firefighters who are covered by Table 7B where they have not completed Senior Firefighter TAPS modules 1-3.
All increased rates will be applicable from 1 July 2014, and the NZFS is planning to arrange payment of the increased rates for the payday 9 July 2014. Please note that there will need to be a freeze on any other salary changes for the pay period in which the new rates are implemented. Any status amendments will be held over until the next available pay, and any applicable back pay will be paid.
What does this mean for you?
- For staff employed on Parts 3 and 4 of the CA, existing remuneration rates will increase by 2.5%. Use the links below to see the new rates.
- For firefighters and officers, increased rates will apply but some staff that were placed in grand-parented grades from 1 July 2013 will now move to the substantive rates set out in tables 2A and 2B of part 5 of the CA. Use the link below to see the new rates.
