The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) are “relieved and satisfied” with the new $145 million collective agreement made by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).
It comes after 18 months of action by the union, seeing strikes across the country in an effort for professional firefighters to receive better support through higher pay, better appliances and medical benefits like early cancer screening.
The agreement between the NZPFU and FENZ is a significant milestone with firefighters due to a 24% pay rise, life-saving blood screening to detect cancer, medical response recognition and psychological support, income protection, life insurance, and recognition of the increased cost of living are also addressed.
NZPFU’s Wattie Watson told Breakfast the union and its members are “relieved” to have finally come to an agreement with FENZ.
“We’re relieved for our membership that we’re now coming to the end, and some of the key issues that are so important for them are now being addressed,” she said.
She said that the state of Aotearoa’s fire service had been neglected for years, and this latest agreement will make it easier for firefighters to do their job and serve the community.
“There were real systemic problems within FENZ where the only avenue we had for the members of the union was to do it through collective bargaining."
The agreement was made after a number of strikes were cancelled by the union in November when the Government stepped in to help; this latest offer is $100 million larger than the previous one made in July.
Watson said the union is satisfied with what FENZ are offering.
“We are satisfied with the agreement. Of course, we didn’t get everything we wanted - you never do - but those matters are huge to us,” she said.
“The financial assistance to help pay for income protection insurance, the working parties that we’re going to have with our members directly in trying to resolve the truck issue and the staffing issue, those are really key to our membership.
“It’s a very good pay increase, but that was really necessary; we had ranks that were barely getting a minimum pay; this will be a massive relief for them."
Watson said the next step is rebuilding the relationship between firefighters and FENZ.
“There is a lot of work to be done in terms of the relationship that needs to be repaired,” she said.
She says the trust between firefighters and FENZ has been damaged by the neglect they feel.
“They don’t trust their employer; they feel that they have been really badly treated and not listened to and that they have not been able to protect the public in that way that they wish to do.”
This sentiment was carried by FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory, who hopes this agreement is an opportunity for trust to be mended.
Gregory told Breakfast FENZ will aim to start to focus more on serving the community, and he hopes this will bring back some of that trust.
“Working really closely with our firefighters around what that means for us and what are the most important things to tackle first.
“We can’t tackle everything at once, so that's been part of this process - what’s really important for firefighters that we can tackle as a part of this collective employment agreement."
A draft collective agreement will now be presented by the NZPFU to its members for ratification.
Meetings will be held from Whangārei to Invercargill from December 8 to 18. The vote will be counted on the evening of December 18.
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