Source: Radio New Zealand
Messages written on an Auckland fire engine protesting firefighters’ working conditions. RNZ / Rayssa Almeida
Fire and Emergency says some of its firefighters are afflicted by angst over union signs on fire trucks, feeling their image is being tarnished.
The signs – such as ones saying ‘dire emergency’ – have been emblazoned on trucks and fire stations for months.
National MPs questioned what FENZ was doing about the signs – and about damaging fires during strikes – at a parliamentary select committee on Wednesday.
The agency said it could not do anything about the signs, and the firefighters’ union said nor should it.
The industrial dispute has gone on for over a year and a half, and the two sides remained far apart, according to both FENZ and the union on Thursday.
MPs had been quizzing the agency over its plans to both save $150 million – the money does not return to the government’s consolidated fund but will be reinvested or act as a buffer because levy income has become more volatile – and adapt to the likes of more wildfires and extreme storms, during the routine annual review of FENZ.
‘That can’t be what a professional workforce does’
Ōtaki MP Tim Costley raised the issue of the protest signs, stating, “That can’t be what a professional workforce does can it?”
FENZ chairperson Rebecca Keoghan responded: “We have asked the same thing at board level and I know the team has looked into it.”
Chief executive Kerry Gregory then said he was picking up on “a lot of angst” – even from some career firefighters – but mostly volunteers.
“I get a lot of feedback from our volunteers saying we need to do something about this, you know, it’s disrespectful, it’s not professional, it’s affecting our image.”
He had checked legally to ensure there was nothing they could do, and confirmed the signs were covered by the notified strike action.
“Effectively you haven’t done anything because you believe you can’t?” Costley asked.
“Essentially,” Gregory said.
The Professional Firefighters’ Union national secretary Wattie Watson said it was FENZ that had disrespected personnel in the dispute.
“Putting information on the appliances so that the public can understand what we are fighting for is not disrespectful.”
People regularly came up to ask firefighters to explain the signs, she told RNZ on Thursday.
The large fire at a business in Pakuranga on 9 January. EAST SKATE CLUB / SUPPLIED
‘There are delays and the risk of those almost daily’
As for striking firefighters, National MP Melissa Lee said it was “utterly frustrating” how fire had destroyed a Pakuranga business on 9 January when firefighters a few minutes away were on a notified stopwork for an hour.
It took volunteer crews half an hour to get to the Pita House shop run by Syrian brothers. One brother went to hospital from stress and heat.
FENZ executives and Keoghan told MPs they had asked the union multiple times if it could budge but it would not.
“To not be able to sit down and say when human life or property is at risk these are the conditions our firefighters can be made available I think is unacceptable,” deputy chief executive Megan Stiffler said.
On 9 January in an online post, FENZ accused the union of “gambling with the public’s safety”. Government ministers also criticised the union at the time, which the union rejected.
Stiffler told the select committee on Wednesday that senior officers who went to the fire had to stand and wait, causing stress.
“I spoke with the incident controller – it had a huge impact on him, seeing that family’s livelihood go.
“We have to find a solution where the community is safe,” she said.
Gregory said they should be able to reach an agreement with the union and would keep trying, adding it was pleasing the union called off another one-hour strike due during last week’s storms.
“We’re not seeking legislative change in there,” he said.
The government has said it would consider a law change over striking doctors.
Watson rejected the criticism.
FENZ had presented them with a “long list” of types of incidents the union might call off the strikes for, though the action had strict legal parameters around it, including advance notice.
“FENZ is attempting to go behind that notice, and any change that we give them would give them an argument that these notices are no longer valid,” she said.
The Pakuranga fire was not an insolated event.
“Unfortunately that fire occurred, but those fires occur and there are delays and the risk of those almost daily in FENZ.”
The agency did not inform the public when it did not have enough staff to cover shifts, or trucks were out of action.
“That hour that the firefighters are striking, yes, there is that risk but we want the public to understand that risk can occur at any time … and they won’t know that.”
The agency should more focus on settling the industrial dispute, Watson said.
The two sides were in talks early this week and meet again next week.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
