Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
STATEMENT – NZPFU strikes again, putting public safety at risk – people should be extra careful – Fire and Emergency New Zealand Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler says it is extremely disappointing the New Zealand Professional Firefighters’ Union (NZPFU) will undertake another one-hour strike today, now facilitation with the Employment Relations Authority has been granted.
“NZPFU members will walk off the job again between 12-1pm today,” Megan Stiffler says.
“This comes after a decision by the Authority yesterday to refer both parties to facilitation to help make progress in ongoing negotiations.
“We ask the NZPFU to call off all planned future strikes while both parties are preparing for facilitation.
“There is no good reason for continuing to put the community at risk while we go through that process.”
People, especially those in cities and towns served by paid firefighters, are being asked to be extra careful with fire safety today.
“We will continue to answer 111 calls during the one-hour strike and respond to fires in affected areas, but our responses will be delayed. Our dispatch system will direct volunteers from their own stations and in their own trucks to help as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies at one time, but it will take them longer.
“Businesses should take care with any work practices that could result in fire, and make sure their tenants understand their evacuation schemes and procedures,” Megan Stiffler says.
“We are advising everyone that, should there be a fire, they should evacuate early and, once out, stay out, and call 111.
“People should also check their smoke alarms and their escape plans.
“Community safety is of the utmost importance to us,” Megan Stiffler says.
“And, as we have done during the previous one-hour strikes, Fire and Emergency will prioritise emergencies and, as a result, may not respond to less serious incidents in cities and towns during the one-hour strike.
“For example, private fire alarms where there is no evidence of fire, small rubbish fires, assisting traffic management, and animal rescues. This will ensure our resources are focused where they are needed most,” Megan Stiffler says.
“We have notified Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance that, for the one-hour strike, our volunteer crews won’t be able to respond to medical calls outside their patch.
“I want to reassure people that this strike action will not affect most of the country,” Megan Stiffler says.
“The vast majority of communities are served by our more than 11,800 volunteers in nearly 600 stations across New Zealand, who will respond as usual.
“I want to say a special thank you to all our volunteer personnel today, on International Volunteer Day,” Megan Stiffler says.
“They are the backbone of Fire and Emergency, and we couldn’t serve New Zealand communities without them.
“I would also like to extend a thanks to our volunteers’ employers and whanau, who support them to respond.”
Bargaining
Fire and Emergency welcomes the recent Employment Relations Authority’s decision to refer it and the NZPFU to facilitation to help make progress in bargaining for a collective employment agreement.
“Attending independent facilitation with the Authority is the next logical step in coming to an agreement and we will participate in good faith with the NZPFU.
“We hope the facilitation process introduces some realism into discussions. The NZPFU’s most recent settlement proposal was more than three times higher than our last offer, which we believe was fair, sustainable, and reasonable, and in line with other settlements across the public service.
“Our latest offer of a 6.2 percent increase over three years would have taken the average senior firefighter remuneration from a range of approximately $80,700-$87,400 to $85,800-$92,900 at the end of the period, excluding overtime and allowances which currently adds an average of $38,800 to annual remuneration. We believe this represents a fair and sustainable increase for our people.
“We value our people, which is why over the past decade average senior firefighter pay has cumulatively increased by 37 percent – more than 10 percent above the average increase for all workers.”
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have been in bargaining talks for a collective employment agreement for paid firefighters since 16 July 2024.
- Fire and Emergency’s most recent offer amounts to a 6.2 percent increase over three years and compares favourably with equivalent public sector agreements.
- Fire and Emergency considers the offer is sustainable, balances cost of living pressures being faced by individuals alongside fiscal pressures faced by Fire and Emergency and is consistent with the Government Workforce Policy Statement.
- The previous 2022 collective employment agreement settlement provided a cumulative wage increase of up to 24 percent over a three-year period for paid firefighters.
- Fire and Emergency has also been investing in replacing our fleet. We’ve taken delivery of 317 new trucks since 2017 and have another 78 on order. We are currently spending over $20 million per year on replacement trucks. There is also a significant programme of station upgrades underway, as well as investment in training.
- For the 2025/26 financial year, Fire and Emergency’s operating budget is $857.9 million. Of that operating budget, 59 percent will be spent directly on the frontline, while another 32 percent is spent on frontline enablers. This means that over 90 percent of Fire and Emergency’s budget is spent on the frontline and the people directly supporting the frontline.
