Firefighters are warning a Fire and Emergency restructure might put less experienced staff in charge at blazes, but FENZ rejects that.
Firefighter at the scene of a blaze in Rolleston in May (file photo). Photo: RNZ /Nate McKinnon
The wrangle in an Employment Court hearing in Wellington today will help determine who gets key senior jobs.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) lawyer Geoff Davenport told the court that staff whose jobs are being disestablished should not have to prove they were "best suited" to get one of the new positions.
The agency is merging urban and rural wings, and wants to give 121 existing staff preference in the new positions.
Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) national secretary Wattie Watson said this would exclude other, more qualified staff.
"The risk is that they're going to appoint people that are not qualified or have no experience in managing incidents," she said outside court.
"That will be really dangerous for the community, not just the firefighters."
FENZ deputy chief executive Brendan Nally rebutted that.
"The same people ... in charge of fire stations will be in charge of them as they are now. This is about the management tier above fire stations.
"The response rosters, the experience of the commanders turning up to incidents, will be as it is now," Nally said outside court.
About 20 firefighters turned up at the court for today's hearing.
FENZ's proposal, launched a year ago, sparked 1000 submissions against it, showing an urban-rural split.
The court is being asked to decide whether the Act that set up FENZ holds sway or the union collective agreement gives members more access to the new jobs.
Davenport told the court if staff directly affected by the restructure did not get first choice the risk was they would be treated "as second-class citizens when it comes to redeployment".
"Not only that, it will render tens of thousands of public servants covered by the Public Service Act also as second-class citizens when it comes to redeployment."
The union wants rules on the "best-suited" person getting the job to prevail as well as for workers to retain the right under the collective to request a review of who gets a position.
The NZPFU argues people from rural fire backgrounds don't face the same qualification tests or get the same experience, but would get senior jobs anyway.
Nally said the aim was to keep redundancies "as close to zero as possible".
The union has expressed concern the restructure would lead to overwork and vital duties not being done, suggesting FENZ is confused about what firefighters do and what the changes mean.
The restructure would disestablish 21 area manager jobs, 24 assistant area manage roles and 76 principal rural fire officer and deputy positions.
In their place, 94 district and group manager positions would be among the new jobs set up.