The new $4.9 million Mt Roskill fire station was opened in Auckland on Friday. Yet at the opening ceremony Prime Minister John Key was drowned out with shouts of “One, Two, Three, A Wage Rise Mr Key”, as 200 fire fighters protested outside holding placards up to the windows with slogans such as “National Shafting Fire fighters Again”. The fire fighters were protesting their stalled contract negotiations, which have been going on since the beginning of the year.

Fire fighters had been offered a 1 per cent pay rise, low enough in itself this was effectively reduced to zero per cent by the claw-backing back of working conditions and sick leave entitlements. Some 1600 fire fighters have been taking strike action since July. In the interest of public safety call outs are still being attended and the maintenance of fire trucks has continued. Industrial action involves a routine stoppage of administrative tasks, such as uploading data to the national fire service computer system.

Auckland Fire fighters Union president Jeff McCulloch told a reporter that the multi-million dollar station was extravagant, as was spending $500,000 on consultants advising on the refurbishment of the Central Auckland Fire Station, despite fire fighters who worked there repeatedly claiming it was not necessary. “The list of extravagances and terrible decisions goes on and on, and the waste of public money continues with no-one being held accountable.”

Prime Minister Key addressed the fire fighters, and told them that most workers in the private sector were getting 0% pay increases, or taking a pay cut, when heckled by a fire fighter about household inflation he brought up that 3% of people had lost their jobs in the last 12 months. Needless to say the fire fighters were less than impressed with Key.