A meeting between Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) senior leadership and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) National Committee ended without resolution on any substantive bargaining matters. FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory, deputy national commander Megan Stiffler, and deputy chief executive of people Janine Hearn attended on behalf of management. The only item of agreement was to seek advice on a High Performance High Engagement model previously used to address a workplace relationship breakdown between the Maritime Union and the Ports of Auckland – a process that was initiated in that context by concerns about worker health and safety. No new wage offer was tabled, and no date was set for a return to facilitated bargaining.
The NZPFU said both sides acknowledged there is no trust between them. National secretary Wattie Watson said the union raised what it described as compounding operational pressures – among them the cancellation of career recruit training courses, deteriorating fleet condition, and shortages of fit-for-purpose equipment. Watson said the union believes these conditions are placing members at avoidable risk and that morale among both operational and non-operational staff has reached a low point.
FENZ and the NZPFU have each placed responsibility for the deadlock with the other side. A FENZ spokesperson said: “NZPFU has so far declined to return to facilitation unless Fire and Emergency first provides a new settlement proposal. This is despite the NZPFU having committed to table a new proposal in January, which has still not been presented.” The union’s position is that it will not return to facilitated bargaining unless FENZ produces a materially different offer first. Watson’s May 20 statement to members noted that Gregory had confirmed in March that a new offer was in development, but that one has not been delivered.
On the substance of its offer, FENZ said it “provides an increase of 6.2% over three years and compares favourably with the majority of public sector settlements that have been offered and ratified.” The spokesperson added: “Unfortunately, the NZPFU’s last formal proposal was around three times the cost of Fire and Emergency’s offer, and we need any settlement to be financially sustainable. We remain ready to continue the facilitated bargaining process and hope the NZPFU will re-engage constructively with a proposal that reflects both the value of firefighters’ work and the economic realities facing the organisation.” Strike action is continuing. The NZPFU has scheduled one-hour stoppages on May 20, May 22, May 27, May 29, June 5, and June 6, among other dates.
A 2023 internal audit found that FENZ had been miscalculating certain leave entitlements under the Holidays Act and applicable collective agreements. FENZ has confirmed a remediation programme is underway. A spokesperson said: “Like many public and private sector organisations, Fire and Emergency New Zealand has faced difficulties in correctly applying the Holidays Act and the remediation calculations and consultations have been complex.” Payments to current employees identified as having been underpaid were expected in a May pay run, with former staff also to be contacted.
On the question of overpayments, FENZ said it intends to recover amounts paid in excess of entitlements, with the spokesperson stating: “As a responsible public employer, we have an obligation to recover overpayments in line with the correct application of the Holidays Act.” The NZPFU has advised members not to sign consent forms that would allow FENZ to net overpayment recovery against remediation amounts owed. The union cited the Wages Protection Act and said FENZ had not established a legal basis for seeking repayment. Members were also advised to request itemised calculations before accepting any figures, given that recalculations from 2024 onward remain incomplete.
The Governance and Administration Select Committee launched an inquiry into the FENZ vehicle fleet, with public submissions closing April 30, 2026. The inquiry covers the condition of career and volunteer appliances, future fleet requirements, procurement processes – including Type 3 vehicles – and whether FENZ has kept Parliament accurately informed about fleet matters. The NZPFU has encouraged its membership and the wider public to submit information about appliance reliability, mechanical failures, and the operational consequences of fleet gaps. The union has alleged that FENZ “repeatedly provided false or disinformation to Parliament” regarding fleet issues, a claim FENZ has not addressed directly in public statements reviewed for this article.
FENZ, in its April 30 communications, pointed to 317 new trucks delivered since 2017, ongoing procurement orders, and annual replacement expenditure of more than $20 million. It said that in the 2025/26 financial year, 59% of its operating budget is directed to frontline activity and 32% to frontline enablers – a figure it characterises as representing more than 90% of expenditure on frontline activity and those who directly support it.
Watson described the select committee inquiry as significant, noting that it represents the Coalition government directing scrutiny at a Crown entity under one of its own ministers. The NZPFU has said it wants the inquiry to be a precursor to a broader independent review of FENZ funding and resource allocation, pointing to what it describes as growth in non-operational staffing while training capacity, communications centre resourcing, and operational capability have remained under strain.
FENZ draws approximately 95% of its operating revenue from levies on insurance policies. The organisation reports a combined workforce of around 14,900 paid and volunteer personnel, approximately 1,300 appliances, and roughly 600 stations, responding to around 89,000 incidents each year. The current dispute touches on several factors that have direct bearing on how insurers and intermediaries assess the risk environment in New Zealand: workforce sustainability, training pipeline continuity, fleet replacement investment, and the governance and accountability structures that determine how levy revenue is allocated. The select committee process and the NZPFU petition campaign are creating additional visibility around these questions at a time when both the union and management are publicly contesting the adequacy of current resourcing levels.
