Work stoppage for career firefighters
Taupō shows solidarity with other staff
Taupō professional firefighter union members went on strike for one hour on Friday as part of nationwide action about work conditions. From 11am to midday, around 30 turned out for the strike outside the Taupō Firestation, with 18 professional firefighters union members and three volunteers in attendance.
Career firefighter and local secretary Dave Philips says inadequate staffing levels is the main issue driving the work stoppage but says this is not so much the case in Taupō.
He says the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFFU) members in Taupō were mainly striking to show solidarity with their city peers. Nationally, 94 per cent of NZPFFU members voted to support the strike.
Salaries not keeping pace with the cost of living is a third issue that the NZPFFU is striking over.
“We are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand but, in the cities, firefighters are going to the food bank.”
Dave says the Taupō station logged an incident at 11.04 am, while the strike was on. He says they are fortunate the volunteer firefighters were able to respond.
“The volunteers have to leave their place of employment so they can respond. In Auckland, there is no volunteer service.”
The strike is part of an employment dispute with the firefighters' employer Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). Strikes can only usually happen within a short time frame when the collective employment agreement is expiring and the two sides are negotiating a new agreement.
The NZPFFU and FENZ reached an impasse in their negotiations, leading to this action.
If their demands are still unmet, the NZPFFU will be striking again tomorrow, and also next Friday.