Almost 60 Invercargill career firefighters will be involved in nationwide strikes tomorrow morning between 11am and 12pm, for the first time in New Zealand history.

FENZ Invercargill station manager Aaron Ramsey said this was unprecedented and a decision that has not been taken lightly.

“We have taken this step because our employer refuses to acknowledge our claims and are putting firefighters and communities at risk across New Zealand.”

The strike action includes communication centre staff and will impact all Fire and Emergency response across the country.

Anyone wishing to support the crew in Invercargill are welcome to join them in front of the Jed Street Fire Station tomorrow for a short walk, “and we would encourage everyone to click on this link to show their support by taking 30 seconds to send a letter to every MP in the country.  www.firecrisis.nz/get-involved/.”

Nationally, nearly 2000 professional firefighters are involved in the hour-long strike, citing a crisis within the sector and ongoing problems with low pay, understaffing and unreliable fire equipment.

The country’s 12,000 volunteer firefighters will not be participating, as they are not represented by the union.

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