Firefighters Walk Off the Job Amid Pay Dispute

Image by Isla Melton.

New Zealand’s career firefighters walked off the job last Friday in a rare one-hour strike that slowed emergency responses across the country and reignited debate over pay, safety and working conditions within Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ).

Between 12pm and 1pm on Friday October 17, around 2,000 members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU), including frontline firefighters, 111 emergency dispatchers, trainers and volunteer support officers walked off the job.

The industrial action came after more than a year of stalled collective bargaining with FENZ.

Despite the strike, emergency services continued operating at a reduced capacity.

FENZ reported receiving 18 emergency calls during the one-hour walkout, ten of which were in areas impacted by the strike.

Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler said while volunteers filled in where possible, the absence of career firefighters meant slower responses in many areas.

Before the strike, Stiffler warned FENZ would “respond to fires in affect areas,” though responses in cities covered by career firefighters “would be delayed.”

FENZ urged the public to be cautious during the strike, advising households and businesses to check smoke alarms, avoid leaving cooking unattended and review their evacuation plans.

“Community safety remains our utmost priority,” Stiffler said.

The NZPFU members were struck “with heavy hearts” after repeated attempts to get FENZ back to the bargaining table failed.

National Secretary Wattie Watson said firefighters had reached their limit after years of unsafe conditions and underfunding.

“When NZPFU members strike, they strike as a last resort,” Watson said.

Image by Jordan Smith.

“FENZ could have stopped this strike if they had turned up to bargaining and sufficiently progressed negotiations.”

Watson accused FENZ of “rolling the dice on emergency response everyday” by allowing chronic understaffing, under-resourced stations and failing fire trucks to undermine the safety of both firefighters and the public.

“Every day the response to the community is affected by fire trucks breaking down, sometimes on the way to emergencies, or by stations being close and communities waiting extra minutes,” she said.

“Those minutes can be the difference between life and death.”

FENZ said it remains committed to reaching a settlement but was “disappointed” the union rejected its latest offer of a 5.1 percent pay rise over three years, along with increased allowances.

“We believe our offer is fair, sustainable, and consistent with the Government Workforce Policy Statement,” she said.

“We’re bargaining in good faith and doing everything we can to reach an agreement without disrupting the services communities rely on.”

The NZPFU said the offer fails to reflect the rising cost of living, staffing pressures and safety concerns across the service.

They argue the previous 2022 agreement’s 24 percent cumulative pay rise had been eroded by inflation, and that firefighters continue to face unsafe working environments, outdated equipment and inadequate training facilities.  

FENZ said it has continued to invest in its frontline operations, replacing 317 trucks since 2017, upgrading stations nationwide and spending more than $20 million annually on fleet replacements.

FENZ has applied for facilitation through the Employment Relations Authority, which has directed both parties to attend mediation before October 28.

Until then, the NZPFU has not ruled out further strike action.

“Our firefighters are standing up not just for fair pay,” Watson said, “but for a fire service that can keep New Zealanders safe.”