Firefighters confront PM on pay

Pithy slogans get the firefighters' message across to the Prime Minister. Photo / Richard Robinson

Senior firefighter Jeff Shrimpton's 11-year-old daughter earns more working at Muffin Break than a Fire Service recruit.

The Howick officer was one of up to 200 firefighters who protested yesterday at the opening of the new Mt Roskill fire station which was attended by Prime Minister John Key, Auckland Mayor John Banks and Fire Service chairwoman Dame Margaret Bazley.

The demonstrators asked how $4.9 million could be spent on a new station when firefighters were being paid below the minimum wage.

Some are having to take second jobs or rely on a top-up from Government benefits.

A recruit starts on just over $11 an hour and stays on that wage for about two years. Mr Shrimpton said his 11-year-old daughter earned more working at a coffee shop.

And after 21 years as a firefighter he was earning in the low-$50,000 range annually.

Yesterday's opening was held to coincide with the eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in which hundreds of American firefighters died.

Firefighters attended from throughout Greater Auckland and Hamilton, including Merv Neil, who was severely burned in the Tamahere coolstore blaze last April.

Protesters held signs with slogans like "I risk my life for less than Bill English's perks", "Bottom dollar under National", "Bring back Helen", "Don't play with fire" and "Paid peanuts by monkeys".

The Prime Minister had to yell over protesters chanting "One, two, three, wage rise Mr Key" while he was addressing firefighting heads and other invited guests inside the station.

The Auckland president of the firefighters' union, Jeff McCulloch, said that his members had not received a wage increase in 20 months.

The Government did not contribute and the State Services Commission had rejected the Fire Service's request for a 2 per cent rise.

Mr McCulloch called the new station a "five-bedroom glorified house" which had under-floor heating.

"I wish I could afford that sort of money for my house."

But Fire Service national commander Mike Hall said the actual cost of the station was $3.8 million and it would last up to 80 years. It would not be economic to build a station that was "cheap and nasty".

Mr Key said he respected the firefighters' right to protest but he needed to "respect the right of the New Zealand taxpayer" and did not want them to "go broke".

He told the protesters he appreciated the work they did - especially their quick response early on Thursday morning when his Kumeu electoral office was firebombed.

He said unemployment and pay freezes were rife and the Government was running a deficit of $8 billion this year. However, he hoped the firefighters would achieve a result by speaking with the Fire Service.