Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have today signed terms of settlement for a new collective agreement between the parties.
A draft collective agreement will now be presented by the NZPFU to its members for ratification. This process is expected to be completed before the end of the year. Fire and Emergency NZ Chief Executive Kerry Gregory says this is a significant milestone and reflects the ongoing efforts of both parties during what has been a complex and lengthy negotiation.
“Our offer in August was at the extent of what we could afford. We are pleased that, with Government support, we have been able to present a revised offer that recognises the critical role firefighters play while being sustainable for Fire and Emergency,” he says.
Our offer is centred around an uplift to base pay that recognises the changing nature of the emergency response role and the growing role firefighters undertake in medical response.
“I want to acknowledge and thank everyone involved and impacted for their patience as we have worked through this process alongside the NZPFU.
“This has been a challenging period for all our people and I am optimistic we can now move past this so our career firefighters can focus on what they love to do, which is serving the communities of Aotearoa.”
“I recognise there is an ongoing piece of work for both parties to rebuild trust and confidence and I look forward to continuing to work with the NZPFU to strengthen our relationship.”
