Firefighters Settle Pay Dispute with 24% Wage Increase
December 6, 2022
PHOTO: RYAN ANDERSON/Stuff
Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have agreed to settlement terms, subject to a vote, after months of strikes over pay and workplace issues.
On the table are wage increases of 24%, blood screening for early detection of cancer and medical response recognition for firefighters and dispatchers.
Strikes were called off in November after the government stepped into the negotiations, offering financial assistance.
The total cost of the offer is expected to be around $145 million, which is $100m higher than the offer on the table in July. This figure includes $75.4m repayable funding from the government, Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti said on Tuesday.
The wage rise would be backdated to 2021, as well as a 22% increase in allowances, also backdated to 2021.