Fire and Emergency New Zealand says it has been listening to striking firefighters, but both sides remain at odds.
Wellington firefighters taking part in the nationwide strike on 19 August 2022. Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone
Paid firefighters walked off the job in an hour-long strike yesterday - their first such national action.
Fire and Emergency were striking for better pay, increased staffing levels, increased mental health support and safer work procedures.
They said they felt unheard and stressed over low staff levels that saw them work overtime and a lack of maintenance of fire trucks.
It followed long-running negotiations between FENZ and the firefighter's union.
FENZ said it had applied for facilitated bargaining, while the union has another strike planned for next week.
FENZ received 22 calls in total across the country during yesterday's one hour strike by professional firefighters but there were no serious incidents.
Wellington firefighters taking part in the nationwide strike on 19 August 2022. Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone
Deputy National Commander Brendan Nally said this included 12 incidents in the main centres, which were attended by volunteer crews.
Fire and Emergency had notified ambulance services that for the hour of the strike, career crews wouldn't be responding to medical emergencies as they usually would - and volunteers wouldn't be responding to medical calls outside their patch, he said.
It was fortunate that no serious fires or other emergencies occurred during the strike, the first ever by professional firefighters, Nally said.
Fire and Emegency had asked the Employment Relations Authority to carry out facilitated bargaining to resolve the impasse with the professional firefighters' union, he said.
Minister for Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Minister for Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti said it was critically important the country had an effective fire service.
"I'm critically aware of the welfare issues that firefighters have raised and they need addressing with some urgency and so I have made my expectations clear but again I have a very very narrow remit just because of the way that FENZ do operate as an independent crown entity," Tinetti said.
FENZ was 97 percent funded by insurance levees, she said.
After National Party internal affairs spokesperson Todd Muller accused the minister of wanting nothing to do with FENZ, Tinetti said National was using the issue to score political points and Muller was spreading misinformation.
The government was working hard to find a solution to help Fire and Emergency, Tinetti said.