FENZ is deducting wages for strikes yet to occur, which is not lawful or reasonable.

NZPFU members have reported that their payslips for the pay period ending Wednesday 1 April 2026 include deductions for strikes yet to be held.

FENZ is quick to take the wages off our members – in some cases what we say is wage theft – but takes years to remedy known failures in the payroll system that has left our members out of pocket.

FENZ should only be deducting for the strikes that have been taken by the individual member.  Those strikes that occur near the end of the pay period should be  deducted in the next pay period to prevent wage theft.

FENZ is notorious for not paying staff correctly even when our members are not striking.  We estimate that FENZ owes our members hundreds of thousands in incorrect payments, including incorrect calculations of sick leave.  Some of our members have yet to have the correct back pay paid since the 2022 settlement.  FENZ keeps putting those reimbursements off, claiming they have had to wait for a new payroll system and to do it in stages.   FENZ has wasted more than $60 million on an abandoned new payroll system, paying millions in licence fees, and is hundreds of thousands into the establishment of another new payroll system. 

The NZPFU has called for a public inquiry into the management of FENZ funds as there has been no accountability and a lack of transparency in the millions wasted on failed projects over the past 8 years.   Go to www.direemergency.nz/help to sign a public petition calling for the public inquiry.

FENZ is entitled to deduct time when our members walk off the job for a one hour full stoppage.  However, they are not entitled to take wages in anticipation of such strikes, or when the member will not be working on the day of the notified strike, where the member has a legal paid break, or where the member cannot strike as they are in transit for work during that hour.

On Friday, FENZ staff received their payslips for the pay period ending next Wednesday. 

The payslips show FENZ has already deducted one hour for the strikes notified for today and Wednesday.  

FENZ’s attitude is that our members can claim a reimbursement if FENZ has got it wrong.  That is not the reasonable, and in our view, amounts to wage theft.

There are a range of reasons why deductions should not have been made:

• There is no guarantee the notified strikes will all be going ahead.  Last Friday, the Union called off the strike due to weather events and communities facing clean-ups.  The Union has called off a number of notified strikes for various reasons, including out of respect for recovery operations and on public holidays to prevent volunteers missing out on family time. We have also committed to withdrawing strikes if reasonable progress was made in bargaining.
• Some have had a wage deduction made when they are not rostered on to work.
• Some have had the wage deduction made on the basis that they will be expected to perform overtime.
• Some have had the wage deduction made when they will not be able to strike for a variety of reasons, including being in transit travelling for work reasons.
• Others have flexibility in their hours and have been working different hours, so any deduction would be unlawful.

The NZPFU is fed up with FENZ’s failure to pay our members correctly and lawfully.

The NZPFU will be taking all necessary action to stop any wage theft.

All members who have had strike hours deducted for strikes not taken or strikes yet to be taken should email payroll with their payslips and the reason why the deduction was not lawful, seeking immediate rectification.  Please keep a copy of your wage slips and emails should we need to take litigation and/or call in a Labour Inspector.

In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary