PSA, Firefighters Union Challenge FENZ Job Cuts at ERA
The unions will argue before the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington that FENZ unlawfully imposed a massive restructure without consulting them as required by their collective agreements.
The urgent hearing follows FENZ’s announcement in November of plans to cut 97 non-fire fighting roles, and significantly change 66 other roles, impacting critical emergency response capability across the country.
“FENZ completely excluded both unions from the planning process and then dumped a 265-page proposal on workers with just 10 days to respond,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“This was not consultation, it was a tick-box exercise designed to ram through cuts regardless of the consequences for public safety. This was all about saving money, not saving lives.”
The legal action details a shocking litany of failures by FENZ management:
• Chief Executive Kerry Gregory sent the restructure document to the unions after close of business on 11 November, with an embargo until 4pm the next day
• The document was riddled with errors, hundreds of pages were initially missing and at least 24 substantive errors were identified
• Just 25 minutes before the embargo expired, Gregory sent hundreds of additional pages
• Two days later, Gregory admitted to 14 more substantive errors and couldn’t guarantee there weren’t more
“FENZ is yet to demonstrate any genuine need for the sweeping changes which will be detrimental for emergency response – New Zealanders will be the victims,” said Wattie Watson, Secretary of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.
“The workers who face losing their jobs are all critical to ensuring fire safety standards are met, and other changes will directly affect the training and support firefighters need to respond to emergencies properly trained and resourced. This restructure was hatched secretly by a very select few, almost all with no operational experience, deliberately refusing to involve those that do the work and understand the nexus of their critical functions. This restructure will fail to address the systemic failures of FENZ which is in dire straits.”
The PSA and NZPFU are asking the Authority to determine that FENZ has:
• Breached collective agreement obligations to consult with unions about proposed changes before they are finalised
• Violated the good faith requirements under the Employment Relations Act
• Undermined ongoing collective bargaining between the unions and FENZ
“You can’t consult on a near-completed plan full of errors that was prepared in a process from which you completely excluded the very people the law requires you to involve,” said Fleur Fitzsimons. “That’s not how good faith works, and it’s certainly not how you protect public safety.”
The unions are seeking compliance orders from the ERA to restrain FENZ from making any decision about the plan until proper consultation has occurred and stop FENZ from dismissing any union members or changing terms and conditions until legal obligations are met.
“The Government refused to increase insurance levies in 2024 that funds most of FENZ’s work, this is why these cuts are proposed, so the buck stops with them. Ministers must step in, stop these reckless cuts, and properly fund critical emergency services,” said Wattie Watson.
https://www.psa.org.nz/news-media/psa-and-firefighters-union-head-to-era-to-stop-reckless-fenz-job-cuts
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