Striking firefighters say that FENZ has reneged on the December 2022 collective agreement with NZPFU and is redirecting their spending priorities, forcing firefighters nationwide to demand desperately needed fire equipment and more firefighters.

Firefighters began the year today by taking industrial action in Auckland as part of a nationwide strike to demand better working conditions and pay from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). This comes after the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) declined a pay offer of 5.3% over three years from FENZ. In recent months, they say FENZ has gone back on the December 2022 collective agreement settlement with NZPFU that ensured adequate staffing and appliance availability.

NZPFU vice-president Martin Campbell said that FENZ is retracting their promise on recruiting firefighters necessary to keep stations open, as well as reducing firefighter positions in Auckland which is slowing response times and increasing traffic congestion.

“We need a minimum of 4 firefighters on a fire truck to keep fire stations from closing down. Some firefighters are working 100 hours to ensure safe staffing numbers”, Campbell said.

Brett, a protesting firefighter, added that, “In our station (Pitt Street), we have 10 people staffing it and working overtime to answer all the calls.”

“We also desperately need better fleets and equipment. Our engines were last updated in 2017. The other day I was riding in a fleet that was over 30 years old and the equipment was falling apart on the way to a fire. Our fleets are also underpowered so it takes longer to get to a fire than it would with an updated engine. It’s quite frustrating, really”, he said.

Campbell criticized FENZ for failing to follow the national aerial appliance strategy and improve and replace aging fleets as was directed by the 2020 Operational Review. “Now the majority of our fleets are failing.”

Over the years, FENZ’s funds have increased significantly from $350 million in 2017 to $800 million in 2025.

Campbell called out FENZ for ignoring the state of its emergency response capability and capacity. He argued that public funding is being redirected while FENZ claims it cannot afford to give NZPFU members the resources they need to respond and protect the community.

“Why are we in this position when the organisation (FENZ) is getting nearly three times the funding that the NZ Fire Service received almost 9 years ago?” Campbell asked.

“Union members do not want to be striking, however FENZ have left us with no alternative. FENZ has failed firefighters, 111 emergency dispatchers and New Zealanders.”

“How have the wheels fallen off so badly?”

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