Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) striking in Rotorua on Friday.
Rotorua paid firefighters have walked off the job for an hour today as part of a nationwide protest over their pay and working conditions.
The strike is to protest FENZ's current stance over the union's negotiations for better pay, more staff resources, better equipment, as well as more support.
Pending a last-minute agreement between Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU), paid firefighters across the country planned to strike between 11am and noon.
That also included those from Taupō and Kawerau stations, as well as training centres and 111 fire communications centres.
Rotorua station firefighters have formed a picket line on the corner of Biak St and Old Taupo Rd today. Photo / Ben Fraser
The striking staff will not respond to incidents and a reduced number of people will be available to take calls, leaving volunteer firefighters and FENZ executive officers to respond to 111 emergencies.
The Rotorua station firefighters formed a picket line on the corner of Biak St and Old Taupo Rd, with a second picket line adjacent to the national training centre near Rotorua Airport with around 50 to 60 trainees and trainers striking.
FENZ 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.
Blair Trotman, the Rotorua Professional Firefighters Union president, is among those who are striking for the first time in his over four-years as a career firefighter.
Trotman is among about 35 career firefighters on duty at Rotorua station along with off-duty staff, supporters, and non-frontline volunteers, who have joined the "peaceful protest".
"It's gutting as it this is certainly not something any firefighter wants to do...But our employer has really left us no choice. It's pretty disappointing when FENZ management continues to undervalue our staff in terms of what we are being offered," he earlier said.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) striking in Rotorua on Friday. Photo / Ben Fraser
"But isn't just about pay. We're extremely under-resourced, trucks break down on an almost daily basis, and we're asking for better working conditions and greater support.
"Our members are united in our view that if we do not strike now nothing will change."
This is the first time paid firefighters across the country would refuse to respond when their station sirens go off. Another hour-long strike is also planned for August 26.
FENZ has said it had offered the striking firefighters a pay rise of between 8 per cent and 19 per cent over two years.
The union's national secretary Joanne Watson said it was not enough and members' decision to strike was not just about money but about appropriate resourcing to protect the community, safer systems of work and better working conditions.
Last Wednesday, the union presented an amended set of claims which they said "significantly reduced" the overall cost of claims but FENZ had yet to respond to the union's revised claim, she said.
Rotorua station firefighters have formed a picket line on the corner of Biak St and Old Taupo Rd today. Photo / Ben Fraser
"The PFU has not walked away from the bargaining, but FENZ's lack of urgency or desire to keep working towards a resolution has left us no option but to proceed this Friday.
"This is not a battle focused on wages. This is a fight for appropriate resourcing to protect the community and safe systems of work."
FENZ deputy national commander Brendan Nally earlier 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.
Joanne "Wattie" Watson, the national secretary of the NZPFU. Photo / Supplied
"We are therefore making our own application to the ERA for facilitated bargaining.
"We and the NZPFU have been bargaining in good faith for more than 12 months for a new collective agreement. This included mediation over the last four weeks, but we remain a significant distance apart. Mediation has effectively broken down and we've reached an impasse.
"We believe both parties will be unable to make further progress in the bargaining, without the assistance of the ERA.
"In the meantime, Fire and Emergency will continue to make best efforts to manage the impacts of strike action in a way that minimises the risk to our people and the communities we serve," he said.
Fire and Emergency NZ Deputy National Commander Brendan Nally. Photo / FENZ
"There will be delays and we have significantly fewer firefighters available during the period of the strike.
"Part of our contingency planning includes not responding to less serious incidents in career zones during the hour of the strike, such as small rubbish fires, medical emergencies and private fire alarms."
