Between 11am-12pm today Whangārei firefighters didn't attend any emergency callouts. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Between 11am-12pm today Whangārei firefighters didn't attend any emergency callouts. Photo / Michael Cunningham
As strong winds continued to lash Northland, Whangārei career firefighters walked off the job today for an hour, leaving the local station unmanned.
The Whangārei fire crew joined New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) members across the country in the 11am to 12pm action which was a step they didn't take lightly, local president Paul Ballantine said.
"It's not an action we want to take," Ballantine explained.
But over 18 months, negotiation between the union and employer Fire and Emergency Services NZ (FENZ) have not progressed and the latter is now involving the Employment Relations Authority (ERA).
The NZPFU claims include better staffing, improved equipment, higher pay and increased health support for the crews' mental wellbeing as well as the recognition of occupational cancer.
Ballantine is working 86 hours this week, which is not uncommon, he says.
He claimed the Whangārei station was under-resourced and staffing level haven't been reviewed since the 1980s.
"They [FENZ] are not replacing retired firefighters. A recruitment course has been cancelled. And we're losing staff to mental health disorders after attending traumatic callouts."
One of their crew was diagnosed with occupational cancer.
Whangārei station employs 36 firefighters. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The union said it had not walked away from the bargaining, "but FENZ's lack of urgency or desire to keep working towards a resolution have left us no option but to proceed.''
Another work stoppage is planned for next Friday along with two strikes in September.
FENZ had earlier said they would continue to respond during these strike actions, "but in city areas we'll have significantly fewer firefighters and we will take longer than usual to respond to some emergencies".
"We also may not attend less serious events like private fire alarms where there is no evidence of a fire, small rubbish fires or animal rescues."
FENZ has said it is disappointed in the industrial action and has asked the union to make a joint application to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) for facilitated bargaining — and to withdraw their current strike notices.
FENZ has said it had offered the striking firefighters a pay rise of between eight per cent and 19 per cent over two years.
FENZ deputy national commander Brendan Nally said it was "very disappointing" the union was going ahead with the strike, despite the chance to call it off and get help to bring industrial bargaining to a conclusion.
"We asked NZPFU to make a joint application to the ERA for facilitated bargaining - and to withdraw their current strike notices while this went ahead.
"Disappointingly, the NZPFU has not responded to either of our requests.
"Instead they have issued further strike notices for two more one-hour full work stoppages on September 2 and 9. We are therefore making our own application to the ERA for facilitated bargaining.''
There were no callouts in Whangārei during the strike action.
