Luke Kirkness: Government and Minister Jan Tinetti deserve praise for firefighters deal

Firefighters on strike earlier this year. Photo / NZME

OPINION:

Firefighters have signed a new collective agreement giving them pay rises, and they thoroughly deserve it.

I’ve been fortunate enough to never need their help following a fire, crash or another type of emergency, but knowing they are there if we need them is settling.

However, that’s not always necessarily been the case.

Fire stations have been closed and trucks have gone offline because there weren’t enough firefighters, meaning trucks from different stations have to respond, creating greater distances to travel and therefore delays.

It’s been reported that some firefighters have been regularly working more than 70 hours a week, with some clocking up more than 100.

In August, thousands of union members walked off the job twice in protest over better pay and work conditions, and future strikes were called off after an intervention from the Government.

Luckily, it stepped in when it did.

On Sunday, the NZ Professional Firefighters Union announced that after two years of negotiations, it had signed a new collective agreement giving members pay rises between 20 and 24 per cent, which also provides better conditions such as early screening for certain cancers.

The agreement was negotiated earlier this month and ratified by firefighters on Sunday, with 97.7 per cent voting in favour.

Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti put up a $75.4 million loan to Fire and Emergency NZ, allowing the organisation to better its offer to firefighters.

Tinetti says that for senior professional firefighters, the loan means average pay of $82,699.89, an increase from what FENZ previously offered of $75,017 - a 10.24 per cent increase.

These firefighters are worth every penny.

The total cost of the offer was estimated to be about $145m ($100m higher than the offer tabled in July) and included the Government’s repayable funding.

Union secretary Wattie Watson says the settlement “could not have been reached without” the support of the Government and would “change lives and save lives”.

Watson also thanked the public for their support, joining the picket lines and dropping off food and treats at fire stations.

Tinetti was “actively involved” in getting the parties back to the table.

She deserves praise for making this happen, and solving what has become an unseemly stoush. No-one wants to see firefighters protesting on the roadside.

This resolution is great timing, with Christmas and the festive break close - a time when, unfortunately, so many incidents take place, from crashes to house fires.

Firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to protect life and property, not to mention the amazing job they do saving people from car wreckages.

They are real-life superheroes, and deserve to be treated as such.