The PSA and the NZ Professional Firefighters Union will today attend mediation with Fire and Emergency NZ after the Employment Relations Authority ordered it in response to the unions filing legal proceedings challenging the damaging restructure proposed by FENZ.
FENZ announced last month a plan to cut some 140 roles, more than 10% of non-firefighting roles including wildfire specialists, risk reduction advisors, and training coordinators – all critical to ensuring firefighters can respond safely and effectively to emergencies.
FENZ planned to confirm decisions by 17 December, but it must now attend mediation today with the PSA and NZPFU, to be facilitated by MBIE.
“FENZ tried to rush through significant job losses with no proper consultation which is why we have taken this legal action,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pลซkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“FENZ canโt just ride roughshod over its obligations in collective agreements to consult with both the PSA and NZPFU. Instead FENZ only provided an embargoed copy of its proposal to unions the day before handing workers a 265-page document with a two-week deadline for feedback.
“We urge the Government to step in, stop the cuts and properly fund critical emergency services,” said Fleur Fitzsimons.
NZPFU National Secretary Wattie Watson said FENZ’s consultation process was fundamentally flawed.
“Genuine consultation is the key to only making necessary changes. Talking to those that do the work is the only way to get it right. FENZ needs to comply with its legal obligations.”
The unions remain committed to stopping these dangerous cuts and protecting New Zealand’s emergency response capability.
Notes:
Previous statements
18 November PSA and Firefighters Union take urgent legal action to stop reckless FENZ restructure
12 November Govt. must step in and stop the deep cuts proposed by FENZ
The Public Service Association Te Pลซkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
How many jobs and how much total cost and how much in salaries, and how much to the top four in salaried FE structure? Paid first, then partly paid perhaps temporary, and those on fire-connected gig work, and what honorariums go to the volunteers? And how many volunteers are there, and how much training is being given to young ones coming along?
And how much time is allocated to sending NZ firefighters overseas? How often, fires in NZ will be more frequent. We don’t want our people either untrained for large blazes, or on the other hand, worn out from being in the world’s front line ie USA Canada and Oz possibly. Who decides? We don’t want our men and women offered as a sort of tribute to bigger nations.
People are asking. These are the best. almost, people in NZ. We want to look after them, those of us who have half a brain and that is quite a few, more than on fingers and toes count.