Members will by now be aware that the Fire Service is intending to hold the official opening of Mt. Roskill Fire Station at 1230 hours on Friday, 11 September. This is a cynical play on the deaths of 343 FDNY firefighters on this date in 2001.
The Auckland Local is holding a picket at the station on Friday 11 September and all off duty members are urged to be there to show solidarity in support of our conditions of employment.
There are certain things members should be absolutely sure of:
- The Fire Service will attempt to order on duty staff to attend this function. You are on strike and therefore are perfectly within your legal rights
to refuse to comply with any instruction of this nature, other than Black Watch personnel, whose strike action is limited to a ban on the use
of computer keyboards/mice, and have already been ordered to attend. Using some of their additional leave days is an alternative for them to
avoid attending.
- The duty crew at Mt. Roskill on Friday are also on strike, and must refuse to have anything to do with any arrangements, or to participate in any
of the ceremony which is attached to this type of thing. Do not be intimidated by the presence of Fire Service senior managers, and remember
the Auckland Local and Northern Branch officials will be outside at the picket if their assistance is needed.
- Remember, the strike notices have clearly stated to the Fire Service that operational members are only responding to emergency calls and re-instating
appliances to full operational readiness, nothing else.
- The Fire Service has already issued instructions to staff that they are not to leave stations for any purpose other than attendance at emergencies
and have specifically forbidden members to attend the gym, if they do not have a gym on station. The movement of appliances for fire station
openings is not classed as an emergency and so will not be done.
- The National Commander has already asked the Union Committee to call off the picket, and when they refused, he made the statement that he may postpone the opening. If this happens, the picket will still go ahead and members are asked to still attend.
