1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Now the Boarder Fire and Emergency New Zealand FENS is 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: getting itself a sweet little seventy nine percent pay rise 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: this year. The professional firefighters, as you can imagine, are 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: furious because they're striking, aren't they. Crews are still dealing 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: with aging equipment, Some are barely earning apparently above the 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: minimum wage. Contract talks are still dragging on and the 7 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: one hour strikes continue. Watty Watson is the National secretary 8 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: for the Professional Firefighters Union and with US high Watti. 9 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: Hi, how are you doing? 10 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: Yeah? Very well, thank you. When you read about the 11 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: seventy nine percent, what did you think? 12 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: Oh? I couldn't believe it, to be quite frank. We 13 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: had written to Fenceek Grigory last September seeking information on 14 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 2: this when the government announced that boards could give themselves 15 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 2: an increase of this magnitude, and Fence told us that 16 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 2: there wasn't any plans in the next year to increase 17 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 2: the board fees, and clearly there was. They have then 18 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: gone to the Minister of Interienlafes Brook Valden, who signed 19 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 2: it off in December. And it's just outrageous. It's outrageous 20 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: when we have our three lowest ranks barely getting paid 21 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 2: minimum wage than not even getting paid the living wage. 22 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: So how many firefighters do you reckon you have that 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: would earn the same or more than the chair on 24 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: ninety one, five hundred and sixty dollars. 25 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: Oh, they wouldn't be firefighters that earned that for their 26 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: forty two hour week. There will be officers that would 27 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 2: earn that for their forty two hour week, but certainly 28 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 2: no far fighting. 29 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: What's the difference between a firefighter and an officer? 30 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 2: So an officer has greater responsibilities. They are the ones 31 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 2: that run the incident and make the decisions on the 32 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: incident ground, and they have the lives and health and 33 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: safety of the firefighters and those they responded. 34 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: Right, But the chaps going into the buildings and saving people, 35 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: they're not earning as much as the board chair. 36 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 2: Nope, not for they're forty two hours, right, because they 37 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: get the bonus and stuff on top of it, for 38 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 2: they get some they get they get over time, when 39 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 2: they get time and a half when they work over time. 40 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: Yeah okay, yeah, sorry, yeah, that's what I meant by bonus. 41 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: But yeah, do you guys, do you guys also have 42 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: not on top of not you've got you've got set 43 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: aside what we're dealing here with the strikes and the 44 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,119 Speaker 1: ongoing pay issues. You also have problems, don't you, with equipment, 45 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: which is equipment that is signed off by this board. 46 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: Right, absolutely, there is massive issues with equipment, including appliances, 47 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: these massive issues with understaffing, these significant problems. 48 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: Across the board. 49 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: There's no accountability for millions, hundreds of millions that has 50 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 2: been wasted and failed projects, and then we get this 51 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:58,119 Speaker 2: kind of decision that just reeks. It just it can't 52 00:02:58,160 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: be more smelly than what it is. 53 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: How long have you guys been negotiating? 54 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: By the way, so our collective agreement expired in July 55 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 2: twenty four and we've actually been round the table in 56 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 2: negotiations since about August twenty four. 57 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought it might have been that long. All right, Watti, 58 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: thank you appreciate it very much. Whataty Watson, National Secretary 59 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: for the Professional Firefighters Union. For more from Heather Duplessy 60 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, Listen live to news Talks. It'd be from 61 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.