Photo: RNZMembers of the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) will walk off the job for an hour at midday on Friday. The union says pay talks with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) have broken down. Fenz deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said 111 calls would be answered during the hour, but responses would be delayed. Fenz previously applied for independent facilitation to put an end to its long running dispute with the firefighters union. NZPFU began pay talks with Fenz in July 2024.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 01, 2026 22:23 UTC