New Zealand Firefighters Mark 50th Strike Over Stalled Pay Talks

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) is planning its 50th strike on 31 July 2026, halting work for one hour at noon. Union members, including career firefighters, dispatchers and support staff, have not received a pay increase since July 2023 and say negotiations with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) have stalled. FENZ’s only formal offer in July 2025 proposed 2 % pay for the first year and 1.5 % for the following two years, while board members received a 79 % increase in remuneration.

FENZ has urged the NZPFU to return to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and accept a new proposal that would deliver a 2.2 % rise from December 2025 and another 2.2 % from January 2027, costing about NZ$50 million over four years. The union’s counter‑proposal is estimated at more than NZ$130 million. During the latest strike, 21 emergency calls were logged, 17 in the strike‑affected areas, including false alarms, medical calls and a small rubbish fire.

Ken Cooper, Acting Deputy National Commander of FENZ, warned residents to stay clear of fires and called the strikes “reckless”, while the union argues that firefighter wages are far below comparable public‑sector roles, with senior firefighters earning about NZ$80,682 annually versus executive salaries far higher.