Whanganui firefighters walked off the job on Friday in an hour long strike. Video / Finn Williams
Whanganui firefighters went on strike for an hour on Friday in an effort they hoped would spur their employer into negotiating better support and gear for them.
Across 19 towns and cities in New Zealand, members of the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) went on strike from 11am to midday.
The strike came after more than a year of deliberations between Fire Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and NZPFU, which had not resulted in a compromise between the two groups.
In Whanganui, workers marched from the Whanganui Fire Station on Maria Place to the State Highway Three and Heads Road roundabout.
NZPFU Whanganui president, Gerard Packard and secretary Geoff Moore said negotiating with FENZ had been incredibly frustrating and there was a disconnect between management and the frontline.
"This has been going on for over a year now and we've been able to reach no medium," Packard said.
Whanganui firefighters hope the strike action will spur FENZ into resuming negotiations. Photo / Bevan Conley
"They're refusing to come back to the table, we've been pushing hard to try and stop this because this is the last thing firefighters want to do, it goes against the grain of what every firefighter wants to do but that's how bad the state of the organisation is in," Moore said.
They both said they hoped the strike action, both in Whanganui and nationally, would spur FENZ into resuming negotiations, as they didn't want to resort to further strikes.
Among the union's demands, Packard said the key issues for Whanganui members went beyond a pay increase and concerned the condition of the fire station's equipment.
"In Whanganui, we're running trucks that are 30-years-old and are constantly breaking down."
The pair also called for more recognition around the increased risk of cancer firefighters face in working around carcinogens as well as the fact they weren't provided with health insurance.
Whanganui firefighters were among those in 19 towns and cities who went on strike from 11am to midday. . Photo / Bevan Conley
They also called for more mental health support as well.
Packard said a key component of firefighters' jobs these days is attending medical calls, and NZPFU members wanted more training and support around dealing with those calls and the psychological trauma they can sustain from them.
Moore said he was pleased with the turnout and the level of support they had.
"The duty crew have walked off, there's eight on duty, but we've got all off-duty members back, and there's a lot of ex-members and retired staff that have come back, and a huge turnout from friends and family," he said.
"There's also support from surrounding volunteer stations as well," Packard said.
Green Party MP, Ricardo Menéndez March was in Whanganui to march with the firefighters and said the condition of the firefighters' gear was a risk to both the workers and members of the public.
Whanganui firefighters walked off the job on Friday in a strike. Photo / Bevan Conley
FENZ deputy national commander, Brendan Nally, said the organisation responded to 12 incidents in urban areas primarily covered by career firefighters at the time of the strike.
He said all fire calls were answered and serious emergencies were responded to, with volunteer crews responding to incidents where career crews were unavailable.
Addressing the strike, Nally said reaching a resolution with the NZPFU was a top priority.
"We have applied to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated bargaining because we believe negotiations with the NZPFU have reached an impasse and we have little chance of reaching a settlement without the ERA's help.
"I once again urge the NZPFU to withdraw its current strike notices while this facilitation process occurs."
Three more strikes for the next three Fridays are planned by the NZPFU unless progress on their demands is made by FENZ.
