Paramedics next in line for wage improvements

After 20 months of negotiations and seven months of industrial actions, Victorian paramedics could finally see some wage improvements on the way.

Victorian paramedics have been seeking wage increases for over a year and a half now, reverting to industrial actions for seven months, letting Ambulance Victoria and Jacinta Allan’s government know that the current pay rate wasn’t going to fly any longer.

Through the efforts of the Victorian Ambulance Union (VAU), an in-principal agreement with Ambulance Victoria and the Allan government on a new pay deal has been met, which will make Victorian paramedics among the highest paid across the country.

The proposed deal includes:

• Wage increases ranging from 16.98 per cent to 33 per cent over four years, including:

• 16.98 per cent (compounded) for most positions;

• Higher uplifts, over 20 per cent (compounded) for experienced paramedics;

• Additional $12,500 relativity uplift for MICA paramedics, delivering overall increases of up to 33 per cent;

• New $5 per hour availability allowance for rural ambulance community officers;

• Increases to clinical instructor allowances;

• Increases to unsociable shift allowances;

• Increases to on-call allowances; and

• Improvements to end-of-shift management.

The VAU claimed that alongside these proposed changes, many other improvements to the conditions of employment could be on the table, such as better access to single days off, improved meal break provisions, improvements to health and safety, the right to disconnect, better allocation to rural branches, assisted reproductive treatment leave, organ and bone marrow donation leave.

At the beginning of December, the draft agreement was circulated throughout the workforce to be voted on, with over 78 per cent of the workers taking part in the vote. The results were that 97.3 per cent of the workforce were in favour of the new deal.

“We thought that the vote would be successful, but 97.3 per cent of the workforce in favour is far higher than anything we could have hoped for,” said Danny Hill, secretary of the Victorian Ambulance Union.

“There is always more to do in an ambulance, including ramping, response times, workload and staff morale. This outcome will allow us to focus our full attention on working through those matters with AV and government.”

The finalised agreement will be submitted to the Fair Work Commission, which will make it officially valid. The workers will be back paid to October 2024 once the deal comes into effect.

Kace O'Neill

Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.