Ambulance service paramedics gearing up for action

By Cathy Morris
Updated November 2 2012 - 11:53am, first published June 11 2009 - 2:30pm

BALLARAT paramedics are gearing up for industrial action next week if negotiations with the State Government continue to stall.Industrial action would initially take the form of administrative bans but could escalate to over-time and stop-work bans, state secretary Steve McGhie of the Ambulance Employees Australia warned yesterday. Mr McGhie said ambulance managers were currently in "crisis talks" at the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.He said the organisation had been in negotiations with the State Government for the past 12 months.Among the issues being discussed are pay rises and minimum 10-hour rest breaks between shifts. Mr McGhie said the organisation had sought a 6 per cent wage rise but had only been offered 2.5 per cent. Mr McGhie said there had been little or no movement in negotiations during the past 12 months.He said if an agreement wasn't reached by today or over the weekend, industrial action could begin mid next week.A spokesman for Health Minister Daniel Andrews said the government would be monitoring any bans and take necessary steps to protect public welfare. "Any bans that impact on the operations of an emergency service as critical as ambulance, puts unnecessary pressure on the ability to respond to Victorians during a medical emergency," he said. "It is disappointing that the union continues to pursue this course of action, whilst negotiations in the Industrial Relations Commission are still ongoing."We remain focussed on progressing negotiations and reaching a fair and balanced outcome."

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