Firefighters on course for another strike

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WELLINGTON: Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) says it has been listening to striking firefighters, but both sides remain at odds.

Paid firefighters walked off the job in an hourlong strike on Friday, their first such national action.

Firefighters were striking for better pay, increased staffing levels, increased mental health support and safer work procedures.

They said they felt unheard and stressed over low staff levels, which saw them work overtime, and a lack of maintenance of fire trucks.

It followed longrunning negotiations between Fenz and the firefighters’ union.

Fenz said it had applied for facilitated bargaining, while the union has another strike planned for this week.

Fenz received 22 calls in total across the country during the onehour strike by professional firefighters on Friday.

There were no serious incidents.

Deputy National Commander Brendan Nally said this included 12 incidents in the main centres, which were attended by volunteer crews.

Fenz had notified ambulance services that for the hour of the strike, career crews would not respond to medical emergencies and volunteers would not respond to medical calls outside their patch, he said.

It was fortunate no serious fires or other emergencies occurred during the strike, DNC Nally said.

Fenz had asked the Employment Relations Authority to carry out facilitated bargaining to resolve the impasse with the professional firefighters’ union, he said.

Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti said it was critically important the country had an effective fire service.

‘‘I’m critically aware of the welfare issues that firefighters have raised, and they need addressing with some urgency and so I have made my expectations clear; but again I have a very, very narrow remit just because of the way that Fenz do operate as an independent crown entity,’’ Ms Tinetti said.

Fenz was 97% funded by insurance levees, she said. —RNZ