Union ramps up action as firefighters set to walk off the job twice a week

Saturday, 14 February 2026

Long-running negotiations between firefighters and their employee appear no closer to resolution with union members looking to double their industrial action.

The Professional Firefighters' Union has been bargaining with Fire and Emergency NZ over a new collective agreement since October, with facilitated talks not yet reaching a resolution.

Palmerston North union president Tony Sealey said union members were due to strike every Friday at 12pm for one hour, but from Monday would be walking off the job twice a week.

The decision to ramp up the industrial action came after two days of bargaining on Wednesday and Thursday that the union felt went “absolutely nowhere”.

Sealey said FENZ was in agreement on some things, but nothing that would cost the organisation any money, but the union was seeking a significant investment in pay, conditions and equipment.

With no further days set down for the bargaining talks, the union felt it had no choice but to increase the strikes.

“We have gear that is failing, we have our aerial appliance in the workshop right now getting a service and 24 faults fixed, and during that they found more. Whanganui is covering New Plymouth because their aerial appliance is also in the workshop.

“We have a rural truck sitting where our aerial appliance should be as cover … in Palmerston North this puts places like the city library, the city council, and The Plaza at risk.”

He also referred to the recent school fire in Taupō and said an aerial truck had to come from Rotorua to attend.

That truck broke down so another appliance was sent from Hamilton, almost two hours away, and Sealey said it was those types of delays they wanted to avoid.

“We should have relief aerials, in the beginning we did … but so many have broken down or are out of service … and there is now nothing to replace anything with.”

The union was also concerned about retaining public support, and Sealey said they were frustrated at comments from FENZ that appeared to undermine their position.

One of those was the claim union members were offered a 6.2% payrise, but he said because they were on an expired collective agreement, and had been for 18 months, it equated to about 1% a year for five years.

Another was that firefighters had previously received a 25% pay increase, but he said that was only for recruits as they were being paid below minimum wage.

“That was for one specific group within FENZ and it was an uplift over three years for recruit firefighters to bring them up to $45,000 or $46,000.”

FENZ Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler said they wanted the union to halt its industrial action, and were still committed to reaching a fair resolution.

The organisation put out a warning prior to Friday’s strike said response times to calls could be delayed in areas covered by professional firefighters, with RNZ reporting 30 minute-delays for a callout at the Auckland Ferry Terminal.

Stiffler said FENZ had offered the union what was effectively an average 6.2% pay increase over three years, but “this was three times less” than the union’s proposal.

“Over the past decade [the] average senior firefighter pay has cumulatively increased by 37%, which is more than 10% above the average increase for all workers.”

The strikes would take place Mondays and Friday, from 12pm to 1pm, with notices formally issued for February 20, 23 and 27 and March 2.