The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) members strike back in August. Photo / Michael Craig
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) members strike back in August. Photo / Michael Craig
Firefighters will get a 24 per cent wage increase under a $145 million settlement agreed upon by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) today.
It signals the end of a gruelling 18 months of negotiations that could be coming to a close.
The draft collective has yet to be ratified by the union members, a process expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Firefighters have walked off the job twice this year amid six-month-long industrial action as they attempted to gain guaranteed mental health and wellbeing programmes as well as ongoing access to psychological professionals.
In this proposed settlement, NZPFU and FENZ have agreed to provide life-saving blood screening for the early detection of firefighters’ occupational cancer and other illness as well as medical response recognition for firefighters and dispatchers.
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) members strike back in August. Photo / Michael Craig
They have also agreed to provide psychological support and a supervision programme for firefighters and dispatchers.
The NZPFU also previously stated that Fenz failed to employ enough career firefighters and 111 emergency call centre dispatchers to meet minimum staffing.
They have now agreed to maintain equal representation from both FENZ and NZPFU in working parties to recommend type, numbers and locations of appliances, staffing levels and locations and boots and helmets, including trial protocols.
Also included in the draft settlement is a significant 24 per cent wage increase and a 22 per cent cumulative increase to allowances, both backdating to 2021.
A $1500 sign-on bonus will be on offer on Christmas week if the settlement is ratified by then as well.
The NZPFU said the previous offers of wage increases were “dismal” compared to this.
FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory said the now acceptable proposal was only made possible due to Government funding.
“Our offer in August was at the extent of what we could afford,” Gregory said.
“We are pleased that, with Government support, we have been able to present a revised offer that recognises the critical role firefighters play while being sustainable for Fire and Emergency.”
Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti revealed today the Government has agreed to provide funding support of a $75.4 million repayable capital injection to FENZ.
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) members strike back in August. Photo / Michael Craig
The NZPFU also thanked the Government for its assistance, as well as Tinetti and her staff.
Tinetti said she is pleased that FENZ and the NZPFU have reached agreement on the terms of settlement for a collective employment agreement.
The NZPFU said this offer doesn’t just represent pay rises and numbers, but a start to appropriately addressing safe systems of work and necessary occupational health and wellbeing support and assistance.
“The offer goes some way to ensure NZPFU members are respected and valued and a pathway to begin repairing the relationship between management and staff and Fenz and the NZPFU,” it wrote.
Gregory recognised there is an ongoing piece of work for both parties to rebuild trust and confidence.
“This has been a challenging period for all our people and I am optimistic we can now move past this so our career firefighters can focus on what they love to do, which is serving the communities of Aotearoa,” Gregory said.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the NZPFU to strengthen our relationship.”
