Tony Iltis, Melbourne
A mass meeting on September 8 of about 400 members of the Victorian branch of the Ambulance Employees Association (AEA) voted to reject offers put forward by the Metropolitan Ambulance Service and Rural Ambulance Victoria containing an annual pay rise of 3% and a paltry $20 per week for paramedics with advanced life support skills.
Addressing the meeting, AEA state secretary Rod Morris accused the Premier Steve Bracks' Labor government of dishonesty, hypocrisy and bullying. He said that the paramedics' demands — for more pay, recognition of skills and, most importantly, increased staffing — were "nothing that was not reasonable, doable and affordable".
The issue of staffing is of critical importance, both because current short-shifting of the ambulance services is endangering public safety, and because long shifts, lack of adequate meal breaks, excessive overtime and having to be on call when not working, was placing an impossible burden on paramedics. One of the paramedics' demands is an end to single officer crewing of ambulances, which still occurs in Victoria, particularly in regional areas.
Recognition of skills was the other key issue. The government's refusal to recognise paramedics as qualified health professionals is reflected not only in its refusal of professional wage scales but also in health minister Bronwyn Pike's continual reference to paramedics as "ambulance drivers".
Morris accused the government of dishonouring the public-sector framework agreement signed in July. This agreement committed the government to increased public services, skills development and training for public sector workers, reasonable hours for workers and attention to the question of work/family life balance. Yet the government has rejected all the paramedics' demands that addressed these issues.
Morris condemned the Bracks government as "hypocritical bullies" for using the Howard government's industrial relations legislation against paramedics despite having previously condemned the legislation as unfair. Under the Workplace Relations Act, the AEA had been subjected to Industrial Relations Commission orders effectively banning strikes and work bans.
Morris urged paramedics to "turn up the political heat and reject sweatshop conditions". Following the meeting, paramedics marched on Bracks' office.
From Green Left Weekly, September 15, 2004.
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