Career firefighters and other Fire and Emergency workers will walk off the job for one hour on Friday as their union marks its 50th strike during a long-running employment dispute.
The nationwide action will run from noon to 1pm on Friday, July 31.
New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union members involved include career firefighters, 111 emergency centre dispatchers, volunteer support officers, trainers and staff working in risk reduction, health and safety.
The NZPFU said members had not received a pay increase since July 2023, despite bargaining with Fire and Emergency New Zealand beginning in 2024.
According to the union, FENZ’s only formal offer was made in July 2025. It proposed a 2 per cent increase for the first year after an agreement was ratified, followed by increases of 1.5 per cent in each of the next two years.
The union said FENZ recently announced a 2.4 per cent increase for managers and workers who were not NZPFU members.
It said members were prepared to return to bargaining, but wanted FENZ to present a new offer.
The NZPFU said recruit and entry-level firefighters were paid from $25.86 an hour, while senior firefighters earned a base salary of $80,682 for a 42-hour week.
In a social media post, the union said members were taking action to push for properly staffed emergency communication centres and working equipment for crews responding to 111 calls.
The union also criticised payments to FENZ board members and senior executives while frontline firefighter wages remained unchanged.
The supplied information does not confirm which Wellington stations or crews will take part in Friday’s strike.
