Ambos to take more industrial action

By Erin Williams
Updated November 2 2012 - 2:48pm, first published September 10 2010 - 1:25pm

AMBULANCE Victoria employees have unanimously voted to take industrial action next Thursday, September 16, over an ongoing pay dispute.The Ambulance Managers and Professionals Association met with about 30 Ambulance Victoria senior paramedics and managers in Ballarat yesterday where members voted to take industrial action.A range of industrial actions will be taken by employees, including bans on working paid and unpaid overtime, preparing reports, travelling for work outside hours apart from cases of crisis, listing computer equipment and responding to ministerial requests.AMPA director of industrial relations Michael Butler said ambulance managers and professionals felt they had no choice but to take action after months of unproductive negotiations to secure reasonable working conditions.''There is no doubt that AMPA members are very dedicated employees who regret being forced into this position but feel that they have no alternative,'' Mr Butler said.He said the agreements under which AMPA members were employed expired on December 31 last year.''Since then, the Department of Health and Ambulance Victoria have failed to enter into productive negotiations. Unfortunately they have persisted with promoting conditions of employment that in some instances would result in a large cut to employees pay,'' he said.The association is also pushing for parity between rural and city staff.A spokeswoman for Health Minister Daniel Andrews said the government and Ambulance Victoria were continuing to negotiate with the union on behalf of AV managers and administrative employees to reach an agreement.''We continue to seek the union's agreement to get the assistance of the independent umpire, Fair Work Australia, because we want to resolve this matter quickly,'' she said.''The government believes an agreement will be reached through continuing discussions, rather than industrial action.''The most senior paramedics and professionals who provide key services will be taking industrial action.The AMPA said the industrial action would not impact on the community.

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