Kerre Woodham: Give the firefighters a pay bump

More than 11,500 allied health staff —the physios, the social workers, the health assistants— will strike on the 23rd of October, later this month. The same day as tens of thousands of primary school teachers and workers go on strike. And a week before, well, six days before, firefighters across New Zealand are set to strike over a dispute about pay and conditions (tell me there's a centre-right government in office without telling me). Although, bless, the firefighters are already striking for an hour because of public safety concerns.

Peter Dunne: Firefighters

This coming weekend the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the United Fire Brigades Association will take place in Wellington. It will be the largest such gathering in the organisation's 145-year history, with more than 600 delegates and observers attending.

The United Fire Brigades Association represents the 86% of New Zealand's urban and rural firefighters who are volunteers. While Fire and Emergency New Zealand is the operational body responsible for the delivery of fire and emergency services, it is heavily reliant on the volunteers. Volunteer firefighters cover 93% of New Zealand’s land mass, including virtually all the area that has been at risk from recent adverse weather events.