Strike action ‘against our DNA’, says firefighter
Career fire stations, training centres, 111 fire centres set to down tools later this month
Fire and emergency responses could be delayed as workers join national escalated strike action this month, a move one Northland firefighter describes as “against his DNA”.
The Professional Firefighters Union (PFU) last week gave notice of escalated strike actions in the form of two one-hour stoppages, despite agreeing to further negotiation.
Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) and the PFU are in mediation this week as the union continues to push for better pay, staffing and support.
The urgent mediation will take place tomorrow and Thursday.
Meanwhile, the strike has been announced for between 11am and noon on Friday, August 19, and Friday, August 26.
The strike action includes all career fire stations, training centres and 111 fire communications centres.
It was “extremely disappointing” the union planned to strike after the pay offer increase, Fenz deputy national commander Brendan Nally said.
The new pay offer would see base salaries for all firefighters increase between 8 and 19 per cent over the next two years, according to Fenz.
The escalation to strike action follows the breakdown of mediation and negotiation between the union and Fenz, PFU Northland president Paul Ballentine said.
“It’s an action that we don’t want to take, but we feel that Fenz is forcing our hand and don’t appear to be budging much on the offer.”
Ballentine felt the strike was about much more than pay offers.
“It’s not the money, it’s welfare,” said Ballentine.
The PFU wants a commitment from Fenz to provide psychological care in response to trauma, as well as an acknowledgement that firefighters are at an increased risk of cancer.
The World Health Organisation agency declared firefighting to be carcinogenic last month after research found firefighters were four times more likely to have been diagnosed with cancer.
Striking was an unprecedented move for the workforce, Ballantine emphasised.
“It really goes against our DNA to walk off the job.
“I’ve been in the fire service for 26 years and I’ve never walked off the job before,” he said.
It has now reached 13 months of negotiations, involving 29 days of bargaining and three days of mediation, according to Fenz.
“It might be hard for the public to understand, we’re very reluctant to take the action but we feel we need to,” Ballentine said.
Northland firefighters went on strike in June after a pay offer was rejected by an overwhelming majority of union members nationally.
Northland career firefighters work up to 40 hours overtime a week, the Advocate reported in May.
Fenz confirmed volunteer fire brigades would continue to attend emergencies as usual, the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) said.
“The strike action means that, for the hour in question, career crews will be unable to respond to medical emergencies as they usually would,” Nally said.
“Fenz has also assured us volunteers will not be requested to stand by on strategic stations where they would not normally do so,” the UFBA said.