Firefighters’ limited strike continues

A Dunedin representative of the firefighters union has said industrial action would continue next week with stoppages had been avoided for now.

New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) Dunedin local president Antony Mason said collective agreement negotiations with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) were due to resume next week.

The limited strike firefighters were undertaking had been due to end today, but would roll over until an agreement was reached.

Industrial action would be the same, with the added condition that firefighters would not talk to mainstream media about their industrial action.

The union’s social media campaign and efforts to bring political pressure to bear would continue.

An escalation of industrial action from July 15, including one hour stoppages once a week, had been on the table.

The notice had been set to go out today, but now talks were set to resume that step would be avoided for at least two weeks.

NZPFU Dunedin local secretary Mark Leonard said the union was happy to be back around the negotiating table and he was optimistic about the adjudication process which had been reached by mutual agreement.

Fenz would also be prevented from talking to media about the industrial action from Monday, he said.

oscar.francis@odt.co.nz

 

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