LEAVE REMEDIATION PAYMENTS
FENZ has known since an audit in 2023 that they were incorrectly calculating leave payments.
Three years later, NZPFU members will finally be receiving monies owed scheduled for the 27 May pay run. The statements on what has been calculated as underpaid were to be sent out today. But in usual FENZ style they have reported “technical issues” which means they expect the notice of monies owed now to be sent out by 30 April at the latest. FENZ claims that this will not affect the payments to be made on the 27th May payday.
There will be a form with the notification of calculated underpayment and any alleged overpayment seeking consent to deduct the amount FENZ says the member owes from the amount FENZ owes – in effect to provide a net payment.
- Members are advised it is not in your interests to sign a form consenting FENZ to deduct any monies they say you owe from the remediation payment.
- FENZ is yet to demonstrate to the NZPFU that they have a right to seek repayment of any claimed overpayments. There are protections and obligations in accordance with the Wages Protection Act which may mean FENZ has no legal ability to recover overpayments in these circumstances.
- FENZ has yet to undertake the calculations from 2024 to present. It is highly likely there will need to be further remediation and therefore could owe the members more money than identified through this remediation.
- The letters will only provide totals. Members advised to request a full breakdown of the calculations for the totals they provide. With technical calculations on such a large scale there are likely to be errors.
For more information read our earlier notice.
WHANAUNGATANGA SURVEY
Members are urged to make sure they have completed the Whanaungatanga Survey.
This survey provides critical and internationally accepted data in how you are affected by your role in FENZ and by the organisation of FENZ. It is your opportunity to frankly provide feedback on your mental health, and what impact your employment environment has on your wellbeing.
This survey is being independently and professionally conducted by the University of Canterbury ensuring FENZ cannot access any data or responses and will only receive the analysis.
Please make sure that participation of the survey is raised at the start of every shift or working day and members are provided with an opportunity to complete the survey while at work.
The value of the research is dependent on the participation rate – if you participate in only one survey this year then this is one to do!
The University reports they have currently received only 1300 responses – that is well below the desired target to ensure a large enough cohort for robust credible research.
The survey closes next Monday so please do not put your participation off any longer!
The survey will serve to identify operational and organisational factors contributing to mental ill-health while also evaluating organisational change initiatives to improve wellbeing.
This is valuable insight into the factors impacting on your wellbeing at work. It is a genuine opportunity to safely and anonymously accurately report the factors that affect you.
There are two cohorts:
- There is the initial cohort who participated in the first survey in 2023 and the 2024 survey was only sent to this cohort. It is really important that these members participate as their responses are critical to a longitudinal study. Their responses will be analysed separately so we continue on the path to understanding long-term the impacts on them. In 2024 we had about 70% of the 2023 cohort continue to participate. This high repeated participation from this group ensured the analysis of the results has been internationally accepted as ground-breaking research.
- This year the survey is also being sent to all other FENZ employees. It is also really important that all NZPFU members participate to record the issues that are impacting on their wellbeing, including response and organisational impacts without fear of retribution or misrepresentation.
For more information read our earlier notice.
SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO FENZ FLEET
NZPFU Locals are reminded submissions for the Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into FENZ’s Fleet must be filled by 11.50pm on Thursday 30 April 2026.
The NZPFU welcomed the Inquiry to be undertaken by the Parliamentary Governance and Administration Select Committee and urges members to assist their Locals with a submission or send one in themselves. The submissions do not have to be long-winded carefully crafted documents – the basic information on the status and state of the appliances at your station, references to the failures of the appliances and what that has meant for crews on station or at incident, and what you think needs to happen to get this dire emergency fixed!
This is a really important opportunity for our members, volunteers, and anyone else with relevant information to get it before the Committee so the true state of the failing fleet suffering from a decade of underinvestment can be exposed. This includes the impact to the community when firefighters cannot turn up in a timely manner due to the failing fleet, or are left without specialist appliances or the appliances break down at incident impacting the operational response.
The terms of reference include:
- Current state and status of fleet – career and volunteer
- Current and future needs
- Procurement issues
- The “new” type 3 procurement process including the delays
- Communications – FENZ repeatedly provided false or disinformation to Parliament and then CE Kerry Gregory and Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler failed to turn up (sending two employees) to a special select committee hearing where MPs expected to get the correct information. The Committee is intent on getting to the bottom of that.
For more information read our earlier notice.
PETITION FOR A FULL INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO FENZ
Go to www.direemergency.nz/help to support the NZPFU call for a full independent inquiry into FENZ!
The Select committee inquiry into the failing fleet is a great start and will provide critical information exposing the mismanagement of fleet.
But that is just one part of the dire emergency – created by mismanagement and lack of accountability!
- The Fire Service Commission was operating on a budget of about $340 million. FENZ was established in 2017 with a one-off $300 million start-up package in addition to annual funding. In 2025, FENZ reported $838 million in funding. While firefighter numbers (volunteer and career) have been largely stagnant, FENZ has doubled the levels of non-operational staff including management since its establishment, and for 8 years, not one new fire appliance has made it to career fire stations.
- There has been huge waste in expenditure with no accountability. Tens of millions wasted through a shelved payroll system, a failed uniform project, restructures to undo the damage of previous restructures, and changes to complaint systems that are still causing grief for many.
- The state of the FENZ fleet is dire with breakdowns, and a lack of fit-for-purpose relief appliances often leaves communities exposed as firefighters (career and volunteer) either fail to get to emergency incidents, or emergency response at incident is directly impacted by failing or broken old fire appliances.
- FENZ is now driving down staffing levels by reversing improvements to staffing levels that were made to prevent stations closing or trucks responding understaffed.
- FENZ has cut career firefighter recruit courses and volunteer brigades are reporting limited access to training for volunteer recruits.
- There are three 111 emergency centres in New Zealand, but FENZ continues to understaff and overwork dispatchers, resulting in documented significant impacts on their health and wellbeing. It is not unusual for one or more of the three 111 emergency centres to be closed due to lack of staffing, putting extra strain on the crews in other centres to cover the rest of the country.
- FENZ recently removed the “future” from a critical Future Operating Capability project, only focusing on what we have now despite known changes in risks, including population growth, changes to types of industries, and the increased risk of extreme weather events.
All members are requested to disseminate the flyers below within their communities including their own personal connections through schools, businesses, sports clubs and family and friends. Every member ensure at least 10 people with no connection to FENZ signed the petition.
We hope that the information provided to the Select Committee on fleet will result in a recommendation for a full and independent inquiry into FENZ’s management of its funding and whether it is meeting its obligations and requirements under the Fire and Emergency Act 2017.
For more information go to www.direemergency.nz/help
In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary
