By Wattie Watson (Foreword by Elliot Ikilei)

On Friday morning, New Zealand firefighters throughout the nation went on strike, feeling the need to show New Zealand what was happening to their people and facilities.

With transparency and openness, the Fire Crisis website has kept New Zealanders in detailed awareness of what happens each day, including malfunctioning appliances and tools, station shutdowns (due to lack of staff), ongoing job-related health issues, mental health degradation and more.

In saving many New Zealand lives each year, firefighters have paid the cost. And with the current government putting millions into offshore climate change accounts, millions into sexualised education and other Progressive agendas, the cost will continue to be borne by kiwis who save New Zealanders.

The next hour-long strike is planned for 2nd September.

https://www.facebook.com/NZPFU/videos/a.10160229441259208/452269180191168

From the Fire Crisis team regarding the latest strike:

FENZ has refused to continue mediation in the wake of its application in the Employment Relations Authority for facilitation.

It is extraordinary that the leadership of an emergency service would prefer to sit on their hands for four weeks refusing to negotiate while weekly strike action continues.

The parties last met on the 10th and 11th of August and FENZ is refusing to meet before its application for facilitation is heard by the Employment Relations Authority on the 12th and 13th of September.

The risk to the community during the hour-long strikes falls squarely on the shoulders of FENZ CEO Kerry Gregory, the Executive Leadership Team and the Board chaired by Rebecca Keoghan.  

At the last mediation session FENZ did not state at mediation that they were walking away or that they thought the process was exhausted. FENZ unilaterally walked from the private mediation process despite leaving the last meeting undertaking to provide a response to the NZPFU claims and the parties asking the mediator to explore avenues to resolve some long standing issues.  FENZ had previously agreed to private mediation conducted by former Employment Court Chief Judge Graeme Colgan with the process including a high-level group to be called upon if either party had issues with the manner or progress of the discussions.  FENZ did not follow that process before filing in the ERA.

The Employment Relations Act specifically provides that the parties can continue to use other avenues in order to progress the bargaining pending an application for facilitation, and that can continue even if facilitation is ordered.  The Mediator has been willing to continue and has provided dates of his availability but FENZ is refusing to participate in mediation.

• While the Employment Relations Authority is hearing the FENZ application under urgency, it is not known when a Decision would be made. At the very earliest that could be the 13th September 2022.
• There is no guarantee that FENZ will be successful in their application and therefore nothing will have progressed for a month.
• Even if facilitation eventuates, the dates will have to be scheduled causing more delays.
• There is no guarantee that facilitation will result in resolving the issues.  The facilitator can only make non-binding recommendations and there is no guarantee that FENZ would agree to any recommendations.
• The only guarantees are delays as FENZ push for an expensive and lengthy legalistic process.

FENZ is now not only rolling the dice on public safety every day with staff shortages and failing appliances and equipment, it is ensuring there is no chance of averting the notified strike action.

Some of the images from Friday: