Off-duty firefighters supporting the Save Our Services rally in Invercargill last Thursday had to abandon the event to attend 106 callouts across the city after the storm.

Invercargill station officer and union representative Aaron Ramsey had just given a speech when his phone started to go off.

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) started nationwide industrial action in August, but since the nationwide hour-long strike on October 17, there has been mediation talks with FENZ.

But last Thursday the Invercargill crew were there supporting nurses, teachers and other government support staff, and were cheered by the crowd when they left the rally to assist with the weather emergencies.

National secretary Wattie Watson said the incident highlighted how it was no longer guaranteed that there was a working reliable fire appliance or the necessary crew ready and waiting for call outs.

“The NZPFU members staffing the 111 emergency dispatch centres had no relief as the calls by the public needing support and rescue kept coming.  Volunteer support officers were busy behind the scenes ensuring the volunteer brigades were equipped and supported as they too battled the atrocious conditions to respond to their communities.”

Meanwhile, mediation talks started on October 23 which were part of the facilitation application process.

The parties have agreed to reconvene bargaining for the 3rd, 4th and 5th November 2025 in Christchurch.

“The NZPFU has agreed to withdraw the strike notified for 31st October but has indicated a strike notice for the 7th November will be issued,” Wally said.

“Depending on the progress of bargaining on the 3rd, 4th and 5th the NZPFU will consider withdrawing the strike on the 7th and any other notified strike, and FENZ will consider withdrawing its application for facilitation.”

Aaron said he was pleased that FENZ are coming to the table, “because it’s what we wanted all along.”

“We’re more optimistic this time, because of comments made in the house,” (Parliament).

But he was disappointed with comments from the deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, who said that the NZPFU was not holding up its side of the bargaining - when it was the other way around.

The union members’ biggest issues are with fewer reliable working fire appliances, and only the same number of career firefighters than the country had back in 1990 - around 1700.

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