The fight for better pay conditions and better working conditions continues for firefighters, who are walking off the job today for an hour.  

This strike is the first time in history that all professional firefighters around Aotearoa are taking action at the same time. 

From 11am to 12pm, at least 2000 firefighters will not respond to any emergencies. Volunteer firefighters will still be on call during this time. 

Another hour-long strike is planned for next week. 

Hamilton City senior station officer Matiu Leonard posted about the strike on Instagram a few days ago and since then, his post has received more than 120,000 reactions and 4000 comments largely in support of the strike. 

Leonard said there are a multitude of issues that are being raised through this strike action. 

“We've got an ageing fleet of trucks that are consistently breaking down on us, we've got dangerously low staffing levels and we are also mandated to support St John ambulance service with anything from heart attacks to suicides, drowning and stabbings,” the 38-year-old said. 

There were also concerns around the mental health of New Zealand’s firefighters, Leonard said. 

“Myself personally, I started my career in Auckland, I lost a friend up there to suicide and I've lost a friend here in Kirikiriroa to suicide as well.”

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters’ Union (NZPFU) has asked for better mental welfare support around this, but Leonard says he feels that's been ignored. 

He said firefighters are also being exposed to dangerous levels of carcinogens, raising other health concerns that he feels has not been acknowledged by the fire service.

So although financial reasons might be part of the issue, Leonard says there is more to it than just money. 

“We're not asking for thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars to be paid. We just want to be recognised for what we do and have the tools to be able to protect our community,” the whakatōhea man said. 

NZPFU national secretary Wattie Watson said “we are trying to get [Fire and Emergency New Zealand] to recognise and acknowledge the systematic problems within the organisation that is directly impacting on the service to the community but also the safety and wellbeing of our members”.

Watson said the strike comes after 147 days of bargaining for better pay with FENZ. 

The union represented professional firefighters in 19 different towns and cities across Aotearoa.

“We represent almost 100% of them. Those on shift will be walking off the job. There'll be none if but a very few handful of any career firefighters left on station at 11am.”

Watson said that if there continues to be no response by FENZ then the NZPFU are prepared to go on strike again.

“We've just given more notice for the second and the ninth of September but we hope we don't have to use those days,” she said. 

In a statement, FENZ’s deputy national commander Brendan Nally said it was disappointing the strike was going ahead.

"We asked NZPFU to make a joint application to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated bargaining - and to withdraw their current strike notices while this went ahead,” he said.

When collective bargaining doesn’t reach an agreement, facilitated bargaining can take place - employers and unions can ask the Employment Relations Authority to help them reach an agreement. 

"Disappointingly, the NZPFU has not responded to either of our requests. Instead they have issued further strike notices for two more one-hour full work stoppages on Friday 2 September and Friday 9 September.

"We are therefore making our own application to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated bargaining.”

"We and the NZPFU have been bargaining in good faith for more than 12 months for a new collective agreement. This has included mediation over the last four weeks, but we remain a significant distance apart,” Nally said.

FENZ would continue to respond to fire emergencies during the strike.

"This strike action will not affect most of the country which is served by our volunteer crews who will respond as normal. 

“However, we do ask the public in urban areas, primarily served by career firefighters, to remain extra vigilant during this strike hour," he said.

Top Image: Firefighters standing outside an Auckland station. (File photo) Photo: iStock

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