Following a meeting of the Firefighter Pay Working Party, including both NZFS and NZPFU representatives, some significant changes have been agreed to the original proposals discussed at the recent information meetings. These changes have been made in response to feedback from the information meetings, and address the two key concerns that have been raised.

Grandparenting Arrangement for Qualified Firefighters with 15 Years Service in the Rank as At 1 July 2013

Those employees who have held the rank of Qualified Firefighter as at 1 July 2013 since at least 1 July 1998 will receive recognition for their service as a QFF through a service step at 95% of the Senior Firefighter rate. This introduces a service-based step for existing Qualified Firefighters who have completed 15 years service as a Qualified Firefighter. These new rates are as for Qualified Firefighters who have completed Part 1 of the Senior Firefighter TAPS Programme.

Grandparenting Arrangement for Firefighters Who Are Close To Completing the Qualified Firefighter TAPS Programme

Those employees who hold the rank of Firefighter as at 1 July 2013, and who were employed by NZFS prior to 1 August 2012, will be grandparented on the pay rates in the following table until such time as the pay rates they are eligible for in the proposed new pay structure exceed $1,045.49 for non-drivers, $1,059.03 for Grade 2 Drivers and $1,079.45 for Grade 1 Drivers.

This addresses the concern that was raised by those firefighters who are close to completing the QFF TAPS programme and were anticipating the significant increase that is available under the current pay structure when moving from Firefighter to Qualified Firefighter. 

Recognition for Long-Term Acting Up To Station Officer

Where a Senior Firefighter has undertaken long-term acting up to Station Officer for a continuous period of six months or more, within the two years immediately prior to being appointed as a Station Officer, that service will count towards the pay steps in the Station Officer pay scale.

Full details of these agreed changes will be available in updated tables and clauses for the new Collective

Agreement, prior to the ratification meetings. A further Notice will be issued when these new documents are available.

To accommodate the cost of these changes, some small changes have been made to the overtime transition arrangements. In 2016, the overtime transition step will be 1.33 times the true hourly rate for

Firefighters rather than 1.35, and in 2017 the overtime transition step will be 1.35 times the true hourly rate for firefighters and officers, rather than 1.4. All other transition steps are unchanged.

The Working Party also discussed whether the Senior Station Officer rate should remain at 105% of the Station Officer rate, or should move to 107.5% of the Station Officer rate. It was acknowledged that this may be more appropriate, but given the significant disparity in Senior Station Officer positions, and allocation of these roles, across the country it was agreed that further work on clearly defining a nationally consistent position description for Senior Station Officers should occur before making any changes to Senior Station Officer rates. This work will be progressed as soon as possible.

Ratification meetings are being scheduled and will be notified shortly.

QFF Progression

Further to various newsletters.

The Union and the Fire Service (Peter Nicolle and Janine Hearn) are meeting at the NTC on Thursday 8th August to go through the records of all firefighters undertaking the Q.F.F. Courses to more precisely determine the causes of delays.

The outcome will be communicated ASAP.