New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union members are taking industrial action in response to unsuccessful long-term negotiation with Fire and Emergency NZ.

The Union is concerned about ongoing staff shortages, low pay and a lack of early identification of those who experience trauma on the job, and staged a strike on Friday with more planned for this week.

To get a better sense of what’s driving these concerns, and how they might be addressed, Casper spoke to the President of the Auckland Branch of the Professional Firefighters Union, Terry Bird.