Strike a success: firefighters

PROFESSIONAL firefighters across the South walked off the job yesterday, demanding senior management engage with them over a list of grievances.

Yesterday’s unprecedented nationwide strike was held between 11am and noon and the walkoff in Dunedin was preceded by a radioed message of solidarity from volunteers to their career counterparts.

New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) Dunedin local president and Senior Station Officer Antony Mason said the strike was a success.

Firefighters received a lot of support and tooting from members of the public, but the real test would be if it brought Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) back to the negotiating table.

Firefighters hoped they would not have to carry out their planned second strike next week, SSO Mason said.

About 60 firefighters, former firefighters and supporters gathered near the

Dunedin City Station and about 30 near Willowbank Fire Station.

Firefighters from Roslyn Station, St Kilda Station and Lookout Point Station also gathered with supporters.

About 100 firefighters and supporters gathered at Invercargill Station.

Station Officer Aaron Ramsay, of Invercargill, said it was time an independent review was conducted into how the nation’s fire service was being run and how its $660 million annual budget was being spent.

Fenz deputy national commander Brendan Nally said it was alerted to 12 incidents in the urban areas covered by career firefighters during the strike and 22 calls to Fenz in total across the country, which were responded to under contingency plans.

Two happened in the Otago and Southland region, one of which was a medical incident and the other a false alarm.

‘‘It was fortunate no serious fires or other emergencies . . . occurred during this full strike by NZPFU members,’’ Mr Nally said.

Reaching a resolution was a priority for Fenz, which had applied to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated bargaining, and he urged the union to suspend further strikes while that process took place.

The age of the country’s 1280 fire appliances was one of the grievances.

PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Fired up . . . Career firefighters (from left) Firefighter Justin Reid with baby Maia, Senior Firefighter Matt Loughney, SFF Sam Todd and SFF Tim Dickey protest outside Willowbank station during a nationwide onehour strike yesterday.