Members of Victoria’s paramedic union have voted to initiate industrial action following a deadlock in negotiations over a new enterprise agreement.
Starting on March 18, paramedics will write campaign messages on ambulances, speak to the media during work stoppages, and refuse to collect billing details.
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The unions insist it will not impact patient safety.
Union Secretary Danny Hill expressed disappointment over the situation.
“This (agreement) is about making the job more survivable with better work-life balance, reasonable workload, and getting home to family on time,” he said.
Mr Hill insisted that the industrial action would not compromise patient safety.
“Without that, we will continue to lose the experienced workforce,” Mr Hill said.
While the union claimed to have made some progress in specific areas, Mr Hill said that a significant portion of the workforce had been offered a three per cent pay increase with minimal changes to working conditions.
“These are the people who gave everything they had to the community during the COVID pandemic,” he added.
“Ambos are dedicated to saving lives, but they deserve to have a life too.”
As paramedics gear up for the industrial action, the Victorian government faces growing pressure to address the concerns raised by the union.
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