United Voice

Year-long pay talks have broken down and a major sticking point is the State Government’s refusal to support minimum 10-hour fatigue breaks between shifts, an increase of two hours. 

Paramedics will apply to the Industrial Relations Commission today for a protected industrial action ballot.

“Our industrial action will be focused on reducing paramedic fatigue and providing Victoria with a safer ambulance service,” said Steve McGhie, Ambulance Employees Australia State Secretary.

“We are simply following advice from WorkSafe Victoria who say breaks of less than 10 hours between shifts are a fatigue hazard.” 

Enforced ten hour fatigue breaks are part of a list of 19 different types of industrial action to be submitted to the IRC including bans on overtime and returning to work during rest breaks.

Overtime is a major contributor to paramedic fatigue. Documents released under FOI last year revealed regional paramedics averaged 55 days of overtime in a year, equivalent to eleven 38-hour weeks, while those in the metro area averaged 32 days. 

The ballot application also provides for stop-work meetings and various other bans, such as refusing to collect patient billing data, which would make Victoria’s ambulance service free.

“Paramedics are dedicated professionals. They don’t want to take industrial action, but they have been left with no alternative, given the government will not fix this dangerous situation.”

“For an entire year we’ve negotiated in good faith for proper breaks and fair wages. We have got nowhere.” 

“Daniel Andrews can step in now and resolve this. He can make Ambulance Victoria Australia’s safest and best ambulance service.”

“Victorian paramedics face extreme workloads. Many work more than 15 hours straight, often without meal breaks, and then need to be back working eight hours later. Our survey last year found many paramedics get just five hours sleep between shifts.”

“We surveyed 350 ambos and found many are falling asleep driving and making clinical errors because of their relentless workload and lack of sleep between shifts.”

The ambulance union recently released an analysis revealing only Victoria and Western Australia still have eight hour minimum breaks, while Queensland paramedics may soon have their 10 hour breaks extended to 12 hours between shifts.

In 2007 Coroner Peter White held an inquest into the death of a 78-year old cardiac patient after paramedics accidently administered morphine instead of adrenaline. He found the paramedics were fatigue-affected.

Paramedics plan to enforce 10-hour fatigue breaks between shifts as part of Victoria’s first ambulance strike in 36 years. The action is aimed at ensuring they are properly rested and that any risk to the Victorian community from fatigued paramedics is reduced.