Striking NZPFU members are again rolling the dice with people’s safety

12 December 2025

Fire and Emergency New Zealand Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler says every time members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union undertake a one-hour strike they put the people of New Zealand at risk.

"NZPFU members will walk off the job again between 12-1pm today, the fifth time since October," Megan Stiffler says.

"And they've told us they plan to strike again on 19 December and on 26 December Boxing Day.

"This is rolling the dice on people’s safety. We’ve urged the NZPFU repeatedly to call off their strikes because there is no good reason for continuing to put the community in harm’s way while both parties are in facilitation."

Both parties met for facilitation with the Employment Relations Authority on Tuesday 9 December and Wednesday 10 December.

"Independent facilitation with the Authority is the next logical step toward reaching an agreement, and we participated in good faith with the NZPFU. The facilitation process is ongoing, and we continue to see this as the best avenue for parties to reach agreement," Megan Stiffler says.

"We advise people, especially those in cities and towns served by paid firefighters, to be extra careful with fire safety today.

"We will continue to answer 111 calls during the one-hour strike and respond to fires in affected areas, but our responses will be delayed. Our dispatch system will direct volunteers from their own stations to help as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies at one time, but it will take them longer.

"Businesses should take care with any work practices that could result in fire, and make sure their tenants understand their evacuation schemes and procedures," Megan Stiffler says.

"We are advising everyone that, should there be a fire, they should evacuate early and, once out, stay out, and call 111.

"People should also check their smoke alarms and their escape plans.

"Community safety is of the utmost importance to us," Megan Stiffler says.

"And, as we have done during the previous one-hour strikes, Fire and Emergency will prioritise emergencies and, as a result, may not respond to less serious incidents in cities and towns during the one-hour strike.

"For example, private fire alarms where there is no evidence of fire, small rubbish fires, assisting traffic management, and animal rescues. This will ensure our resources are focused where they are needed most," Megan Stiffler says.

"We have notified Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance that, for the one-hour strike, our volunteer crews won’t be able to respond to medical calls outside their patch.

"I want to reassure people that this strike action will not affect most of the country," Megan Stiffler says.

"The vast majority of communities are served by our more than 11,800 volunteers in nearly 600 stations across New Zealand, who will respond as usual. 

Bargaining

Last week, the Employment Relations Authority referred Fire and Emergency and the NZPFU to facilitation to help make progress in ongoing negotiations for the NZPFU’s collective employment agreement.

Two days of facilitation took place on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 December and facilitation is ongoing.

"Attending independent facilitation with the Authority is the next logical step in coming to an agreement and we will participate in good faith with the NZPFU.

"We hope the facilitation process introduces some realism into discussions. The NZPFU’s most recent settlement proposal was more than three times higher than our offer prior to facilitation, which we believe was fair, sustainable, and reasonable, and in line with other settlements across the public service.

"That settlement was a 6.2 percent increase over three years.

"This would have taken the average senior firefighter remuneration from a range of approximately $80,700-$87,400 to $85,800-$92,900 at the end of the period, excluding overtime and allowances which currently adds an average of $38,800 to annual remuneration. We believe this represents a fair and sustainable increase for our people.

"We value our people, which is why over the past decade average senior firefighter pay has cumulatively increased by 37 percent - more than 10 percent above the average increase for all workers." 

Note to editors

• Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have been in bargaining talks for a collective employment agreement for paid firefighters since 16 July 2024.

• Fire and Emergency’s offer made prior to facilitation was a 6.2 percent increase over three years and compares favourably with equivalent public sector agreements.

• Fire and Emergency considers the offer is sustainable, balances cost of living pressures being faced by individuals alongside fiscal pressures faced by Fire and Emergency and is consistent with the Government Workforce Policy Statement.

• The previous 2022 collective employment agreement settlement provided a cumulative wage increase of up to 24 percent over a three-year period for paid firefighters.

• Fire and Emergency has also been investing in replacing our fleet. We’ve taken delivery of 317 new trucks since 2017 and have another 78 on order. We are currently spending over $20 million per year on replacement trucks. There is also a significant programme of station upgrades underway, as well as investment in training.

• For the 2025/26 financial year, Fire and Emergency’s operating budget is $857.9 million. Of that operating budget, 59 percent will be spent directly on the frontline, while another 32 percent is spent on frontline enablers. This means that over 90 percent of Fire and Emergency’s budget is spent on the frontline and the people directly supporting the frontline.