Victorian paramedics are set to receive a 17 percent pay rise after an in-principle agreement was reached between Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the Victorian Ambulance Union (VAU).
Pay increases under the new enterprise agreement would be over 20 percent for experienced paramedics and amount to 33 percent for mobile intensive care paramedics.
The agreement was outlined in a joint statement signed by Ambulance Victoria’s acting chief executive Danielle North, VAU boss Danny Hill and United Workers Union representative Fiona Scanlon.
“We acknowledge that negotiations have taken longer than anyone had hoped, and recognise the impact this had on everyone at AV, along with our partners and community,” it said.
Under the in-principle agreement changes to working conditions include paramedics no longer being contacted after their shifts unless there is a life-threatening emergency.
“We are hopeful this in-principle agreement creates a new and stronger foundation for collaboration, building of trust and cementing our position as a world-leading ambulance service,” it said.
The negotiations began in February 2023 and Ambulance Victoria’s previous chief executive Jane Miller resigned last month after over 97 percent of union members backed a no confidence vote.
The industrial action was motivated by the increased burnout faced by Victorian paramedics post-pandemic. Ambulance Victoria has seen slow ambulance response times and ambulance ramping over the same period.
VAU boss Danny Hill told ABC’s Melbourne Breakfast that he was “fairly confident” the workers would accept the deal, however it was too early to gauge the reaction of union members.
“Time will only tell whether it turns things around but certainly it’s the greatest improvement to wages and conditions that we’ve seen in decades,” he told the ABC.
As reported in The Age, Ambulance Victoria’s acting chief executive Danielle North said the agreement was a positive result to negotiations.
“It represents what we believe is the best possible outcome to transform AV into an improved, fit-for-purpose and financially sustainable organisation,” she said.
The specific details of the agreement will be outlined at a later date and workers are yet to accept the deal.
