David Parker says the circumstances are of the government's making. Photo: RNZ / David Parker
Defence Minister Judith Collins has formally told Parliament she is allowing uniformed personnel to fill in for striking civilian staff.
Uniformed staff are not permitted to strike, but will provide security guard and airfield firefighting services while their non-uniformed colleagues seek a pay rise.
As required under Section 9 of the Defence Act, Collins made a ministerial statement notifying Parliament she had used the "extraordinary" power to allow soldiers to provide those services.
Labour defence spokesperson David Parker said the government had chosen to underfund the defence budget, and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was down about 1200 staff and dealing with the HMNZS Manawanui's sinking - so it was unsuprising staff "faced with a offer of zero increase, they chose to instead issue a strike notice".
He said use of Section 9 (2) of the Act "is unusual and should only occur in exceptional circumstances. In the opinion of the New Zealand Labour Party, the circumstances we are facing here today are of the government's making".
Collins said NZDF was "massively underfunded and under stress" when the coalition took office. She said the industrial dispute was an operational matter to be handled by NZDF.
"Defence Force has been able to cut the massive attrition rates it's had, it is clear that this is an industrial dispute. The Defence Force is taking full responsibility.
"I will never leave defence to be defenceless like that previous government did."
Parker asked if the provision had ever before been used in response to strike action after a zero percent pay increase offer, Collins responded that she had not needed to use it previously in the year she had been in the role.
Defence Minister Judith Collins. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
She also confirmed she had not sought advice from the Public Service Commission on whether the negotiations were proceeding in a normal way.
"No, this is an operational matter, I have full confidence in the chief of Defence Force and his leadership team, I expect them to get on with their job."
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March argued a zero percent increase was effectively a pay cut when taking inflation into account, and was insulting to civilian workers. He asked if Collins had sought any advice or alternative solutions to using uniformed personnel.
She responded she was "pleased that the member's clearly going to support any increase in the defence budget" and she would not, for example, allow casual workers to be brought in as security guards and firefighters.
"We cannot simply not have these jobs undertaken - they are critical to the safety of New Zealand Defence Force, and also I'm not going to ever say 'bring planes in without firefighters being there'. That would be totally irresponsible... we've done what we can do".
She later confirmed she had received "full advice" from the Defence Force, and said the action was not taken lightly.
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