Whangārei firefighters on strike earlier this year. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Whangārei firefighters on strike earlier this year. Photo / Michael Cunningham
After months of industrial action, Whangārei firefighters are back to work as normal after an agreement between Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) and the firefighters’ union was ratified over the weekend.
Professional firefighters began industrial action earlier this year, halting non-urgent work such as completing fire reports and gathering statistics. Union members were also declining to provide information to the media.
The industrial action escalated in August with two one-hour strikes, after more than a year of negotiations.
The agreement includes better pay as well as resolutions to a number of other issues the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) raised.
NZPFU Whangārei president Paul Ballantine said he was very pleased with the offer.
“It’s a good outcome, a reasonable result from our industrial action. It’s got things across the line that we wanted from the start.”
Career firefighters received a 20 to 24 per cent pay rise, psychological support for firefighters and communications centre staff, recognition of medical response work and blood screening for occupational cancers.
Ballantine said the blood screening was necessary due to firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens, and psychological support was important due to trauma experienced on the job.
“It was one of the most difficult things to walk off the fire station but there was no other option for us. We hope it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
When strike action began, firefighters complained of excessive working hours due to a lack of staff and pay as low as $22 an hour for recruits.
Part of the agreement included looking at the ratio of firefighters around the country to improve working hours, Ballantine said.
“There will be some work around alleviating long working hours but it’s going to take some time.”
Whangārei Fire Station during the industrial action. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Ballantine said the community was very supportive of the strike action.
“We just want to really thank the Whangārei community, they were fantastic during those times. The amount of support we did get when we walked off, people in the community were just fantastic, they were dropping off food and all sorts.”
More than 97 per cent of NZPFU members nationally voted for ratification after receiving the offer earlier this month.
The total cost of implementing the agreement was $145 million after the Government provided extra funding to settle the dispute. Previous offers rejected by the NZPFU were costed at $45m.
Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti said the Government provided $75.4m as a repayable capital injection loan to Fenz.
“It meant they could provide an offer which was acceptable to firefighters, ensure the services that we all value could continue and that they got the increase to pay we know they deserve,” Tinetti said.
“For senior professional firefighters this means that they will now be paid on average $82,699.89. This is an increase from what Fenz previously offered of $75,017. A 10.24 per cent increase as a direct result of the Government getting involved.”
Fenz chief executive Kerry Gregory said he was pleased that, with Government support, they were able to come to an agreement with the union.
“Our aim has always been to do right by our people, while ensuring the sustainability of Fire and Emergency for all New Zealanders. I want to acknowledge and thank everyone involved and impacted for their patience as we worked through this lengthy and challenging process alongside the NZPFU,” Gregory said.
“I am optimistic the ratification of this agreement signals a step forward in rebuilding relationships.”
Whangārei has the only professional firefighters in Northland, with volunteer brigades serving most of the region.
