Firefighters across Aotearoa are set to walk off the job for one hour on 17 October as tensions escalate between the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) over pay, staffing, and working conditions.
The strike, scheduled from 12pm to 1pm, follows a rejected pay offer from FENZ in June which was turned down by 99 percent of NZPFU members. Since then, negotiations have stalled, with the union accusing FENZ of refusing to progress talks and failing to present a revised offer.
In a statement, the NZPFU said it hoped the strike would push FENZ to return to bargaining with meaningful proposals ahead of scheduled talks on 9 and 10 October.
“NZPFU members are fed up with the lack of progress,” the union said. “We hope this strike notice motivates FENZ to come to the table with a revised position that deals with all outstanding issues, including wages.”
The union claims FENZ has not honoured key aspects of a 2022 agreement, including plans to increase firefighter numbers by up to 235 to improve crew ratios. It said recruit courses have been cut, jeopardising the ability to maintain even current staffing levels.
NZPFU also raised concerns about ageing fire appliances, saying many are unreliable and poorly maintained. While 40 new trucks are expected in the coming months, the union said many are already out of warranty or have known design flaws.
Mental health, dispatch centre staffing, and occupational cancer support are also among the union’s unresolved claims. NZPFU said FENZ has refused to support wellbeing programmes, fund health and fitness initiatives, or provide compensation for personal phone use required for work.
FENZ’s June offer was reportedly equivalent to a 5 percent pay increase over five years with no backdating. NZPFU members have not received a pay rise since July 2023.
“Firefighters and emergency call centre dispatchers face not only traumatic incidents but also organisational stress,” the union said. “FENZ has failed to treat mental health support as essential training and refused to properly engage with the union on many of our members’ needs.”
FENZ has not yet responded publicly to the strike notice. The upcoming negotiations will determine whether further industrial action is taken.