Firefighters' strike action called off after Government minister brought in
Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Further strike action from firefighters has been suspended after Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti was brought in to help settle the dispute.
Tinetti held a meeting on Wednesday with Fire and Emergency NZ and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union together to help find “a way forward in the current collective bargaining impasse”.
“The meeting was constructive and the parties shared a willingness to work towards a solution,” said NZPFU national secretary Wattie Watson in an agreed email statement on Wednesday afternoon. Fenz and Tinetti issued an identical statement.
Fenz and the union have agreed to enter facilitated mediation with the assistance of an agreed independent mediator.
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Further, Fenz will withdraw the request for facilitated bargaining through the Employment Relations Authority.
The agreement will remain in place until September 30 or unless otherwise agreed.
In August, the firefighters’ union carried out two strike actions across Aotearoa, which saw all members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters’ Union step away from their work altogether for one hour from 11am to noon.
The union is calling for safer staffing and systems of work, better physical and mental health support, and an increase in pay.
Members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union voted to strike after talks with employer Fenz broke down.
Strikes were held on August 19 and 26 – the first time in New Zealand history firefighters had walked off the job.
Further strike action had been planned for Friday, September 2.
Wednesday's agreement to enter mediation came after a statement issued last Thursday, in which the union claimed Fenz was refusing to continue mediation or meet before its application of facilitation bargaining was heard by the Employment Relations Authority in mid-September.