United Voice News
Ambos slam woeful Govt bargaining record as EBA negotiations go nowhere
Paramedics fear their enterprise bargaining negotiations are following the same bitter, protracted path that police, nurses and teachers were forced down, including taking industrial action.
Paramedics’ work agreement expired on Sunday, but the parties are nowhere near agreement despite almost four months of negotiations.
“Ambulance Victoria’s offer, made last week, is a bad joke.” said Steve McGhie, Ambulance Employees Australia State Secretary.
“Inflation has reached 4.5% yet paramedics are being offered annual increases of 3.25%. Basically, they’re being offered a pay cut. How can they accept that?”
“Ambulance Victoria still hasn’t responded to paramedics’ demand for 10 hour rest breaks between shifts to deal with fatigue.”
“The State Government’s public sector bargaining record has been woeful in recent years”
“It’s like Groundhog Day. Fruitless negotiations drag out for up to 18 months. It’s only after things boil over into strikes and warfare that this government gets serious about resolving disputes.”
“It seems paramedics are being forced into taking industrial action, which is extremely regrettable.”
“The Government is trying to recruit 258 more paramedics. But unless we get fair pay increases and issues like fatigue are dealt with, who will want to work as a paramedic?”
“If ambos do take industrial action, it will be because we can’t wait up to 18 months to have issues like fatigue and understaffing resolved.”
“Thirty six percent of the 356 paramedics we surveyed say they’re considering leaving their jobs because of these issues.”
“Last week shifts in Ballarat and St Arnaud and MICA shifts across Melbourne went unfilled, because of understaffing.”
Negotiations with police, nurses and teachers took up to 18 months to resolve and these workers were forced to take industrial action before gaining the government’s full attention.
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT RECORD ON PUBLIC SECTOR BARGAINING
* Teachers: 18 months. Claim logged in December 2006, deal reached on 5 May 2008, following mass strikes and rolling industrial action each week up until April 2008.
* Police: 15 months. Claim logged in June 2006 and settled in September 2007, following industrial action.
* Nurses: 8 months Claim logged early May 2007, settled late October following rolling industrial action.
28 July 2008
