Ambulance Active Autumn 2016 by Countrywide Austral

11 AUTUMN 2016

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REGULARS From the President 05 States of Activity 10 Contacts 24

Cover photo: QLD United Voice member Liesel Cahalan with QLD Health Minister at the launch of the Paramedic Safety Taskforce report.

VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1 AUTUMN 2016

Ambulance Active Official Publication of National Council of Ambulance Unions

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FEATURES Registration 07 Paramedic implementation 08 How are you travelling? Gibbsters raise money 12 Dedicated for those suffering in silence 16 QLD taskforce to stop violence 20 Tasmanian Ambulance pay dispute officer takes out State 21 Ambulance Delegate of the Year award 21 Vale 23 NCAU Conference 2016

APOLOGY We deeply apologise to Victor Stuart for printing only his application letter to the NCAU for a sponsorship to the Annual Conference held in Canberra. Victor's short reflections from the conference should have been published alongside the application. This was an error from the Editor for not picking up the omission of his reflections on the proof. We apologise for any embarrassment or inconvenience this may have caused.

Disclaimer: Countrywide Austral (“Publisher”) advises that the contents of this publication are at the sole discretion of the National Council of Ambulance Unions and the publication is offered for background information purposes only. The publication has been formulated in good faith and the Publisher believes its contents to be accurate, however, the contents do not amount to a recommendation (either expressly or by implication) and should not be relied upon in lieu of specific professional advice. The Publisher disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage which may be incurred by any reader relying upon the information contained in the publication whether that loss or damage is caused by any fault or negligence on the part of the publisher, its directors and employees. Copyright: All advertisements appearing in this publication are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the consent of the owner of the copyright. Advertising: Advertisements in this journal are solicited from organisations and businesses on the understanding that no special considerations other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial dealings, will be given to any advertiser.

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PRESIDENT

STEVE McGHIE, PRESIDENT, NCAU

the PRESIDENT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT developments for our industry bubbling away as we cross over into the second half of 2016. The paramedic registration process is progressing well with a view that it will be implemented by September 2018. A Paramedics Project Reference Group have met twice in Victoria to discuss this and other issues. These are held under the auspice of the Department of Health and Human Services. Jim Arneman and myself are representing NCAU on this group while Danny Hill is representing AEA-V. Turn to page 7 to read Jim’s article on these meetings. A Parliamentary Senate Committee hearing was held on 20 April in Canberra. The Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee took representations from interested parties

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

“The Mental Health Stakeholder Working Group have had six teleconferences discussing how each state is supporting the mental health of the ambulance workforce.

”

about why there should be paramedic registration. Again Jim Arneman and Steve Mitchell represented NCAU and Danny Hill represented AEA-V at the hearing. That Senate Committee handed down its report to parliament on 4 May recommending that paramedics be nationally registered with some grandparenting arrangements, namely the establishment of a Paramedic Registration Board administered by AHPRA. All states and territories would

be required to participate in National Registration of Paramedics. The Mental Health Stakeholder Working Group have had six teleconferences discussing how each state is supporting the mental health of the ambulance workforce. We hope that group will have a report available for the 2016 NCAU Conference in August. The NCAU Conference will be held in Hobart between 24 and 26 August 2016. More details to follow.

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5 YR PLATINUM PERFORMANCE 2011–2016

HEADER NATIONAL REGISTRATION

PARAMEDIC REGISTRATION IMPLEMENTATION By Jim Arneman NCAU Project Officer

IN NOVEMBER 2015, THE COUNCIL of Australian Governments Health Council (CHC) agreed to include paramedics in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health practitioners (the National Scheme). Under the agreement only those jurisdictions that wish to register paramedics will apply the necessary amendments. NCAU members would be aware that we have been campaigning for this outcome since NCAU’s inception.

At this stage, NSW is reserving its decision on participating in the National Scheme. While this is disappointing, work is now progressing on including paramedics from other states and territories in the National Scheme by 2018. A project implementation team has been established. This project is being undertaken under the direction of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) which is made up of the heads of health departments of the states, territories and the Commonwealth. Responsibility for leading this project is being shared between the following parties: • The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is responsible for leading policy work to settle the details of how the scheme will operate. • The Queensland Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for preparing and enacting the necessary legislative changes to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (with Western Australia and South Australia also making legislative changes). • The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is responsible for implementing the administrative arrangements for national registration of paramedics once the necessary legislative changes are made.

WHAT WORK IS NEEDED TO INCLUDE PARAMEDICS IN THE NATIONAL SCHEME? Before paramedics can be included in the National Scheme, work is needed to settle policy details and prepare legislative amendments to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. Anticipated timeframes for the project are as follows: • Policy details to be settled in 2016 • Legislation to be prepared and passed by participating jurisdictions by mid‑2017 • National registration of paramedics to commence in the second half of 2018. As part of the consultation process, a reference group of key stakeholders has been convened to work towards a consensus on key policy issues. Pleasingly, NCAU has been included in this reference group, which met for the first time in Melbourne on April 4 2016. The reference group was briefed on proposed changes to the National Scheme that may potentially impact on Paramedic Registration. There was also a preliminary discussion on some of the key policy issues that require clarification, including who will be registered, the structure of the register and grandfathering arrangements. Ultimately, ministers, convening as the CHC, will make the final decisions on all of these areas. If you would like more information please contact me on jim.arneman@act.gov.au

Much work is still to be done to achieve registration in 2018. The project team will be producing regular bulletins to keep stakeholders up to speed with developments. These will be distributed to constituent unions as NCAU receives them. They will also be available on the Ambulance Active website.

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

HOW ARE YOU TRAVELLING? By Allister Briggs

In 2009 I was referred to one of the Victorian Ambulance Counselling Unit Psychologists, and on completion of that appointment was put off work and referred to the Austin Hospital’s PTSD service, having been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and major depression. BEING OFF WORK WAS QUITE AN ISOLATING EXPERIENCE, and while I heard from some colleagues, there was really no contact from Ambulance Victoria (AV) until it was time to commence my Return to Work. As a result, all there was for a while was medical and psychology appointments, and not much else. Later, when I commenced an extended rehab program at the Austin’s Repat Campus I walked into the waiting room and was a bit stunned to see several familiar faces, some of which I had actually worked with on the road and yet had no idea. I never really hid my diagnosis, and was rather visible about the place and so over the next few years started getting contacted out of the blue by paramedics who felt they needed help and how to go about getting it, as well as a few who were trying to return to work and were asking advice as to what I had done.

“The entire Workcover/AV process to

date left me isolated and while I was sure there may have been others, it left me on my own thinking I was largely the only one.

”

During the prolonged Victorian Ambulance dispute, which ended in late 2014, the issue of paramedic welfare kept coming up again and again. Then Labor opposition took an interest in the issue of paramedic welfare and OH&S and the AEAV organised several information gathering sessions at Parliament House. During these meetings, I was frankly stunned at the number and variety of people who were struggling, quite a few of whom I knew from the road and thought very highly of and had absolutely no idea how they were struggling, and frankly how shabbily some were being treated. This included a member who would wait out the front of their branch unable to go inside until the last minute because he was so anxious. Another member had become so reclusive that she essentially locked herself inside her house,

Allister Briggs

ran out of money and sick leave and eventually lost her house. The only contact was from a manager who knocked on the door once. The next communication was a letter threatening termination. All of these had one thing in common… they thought they were the only one. The fact is they were not. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics suicide is the leading cause of death of Australians in the age group of 15-45. Depending on whose stats you use, paramedics are at least four times more likely to take their own life. Victorian WorkCover stats state that psychological injuries are the second most common type of compensated injury behind musculoskeletal injuries. We are going to great lengths to limit musculoskeletal injuries, and spending a lot of money on new stretchers, lifting aids, training and so on.

BUT, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH? Throughout this time the AEAV had decided to give its members another avenue of support. Many mental health issues declare themselves when members are required to seek assistance from their union because that is when they are under the most stress. Often disciplinary matters will cause an underlying condition to erupt suddenly and the union will always try to refer members on to the relevant peer support of counselling program. However for some members this too was very confronting so the union wanted to set up a support group where people can come together in a safe environment and talk about anything they want with the premise being mental health issues.

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

“The union wanted to set up a

support group where people can come together in a safe environment and talk about anything they want with the premise being mental health issues.

”

With this in mind, Ambulance Employees Australia (AEA) of Victoria Assistant Secretary Danny Hill approached me with his concerns and How Are You Travelling? came into being. The How Are You Travelling? forum is a very gentle and supportive approach without any rules or formalities, just a safe place to chat. We sit around and talk about stress, depression, and anxiety, but only if people want to. If people want to talk about their kids or something not work related or even just sit and listen quietly, that’s fine too. We don’t push people to talk, but we have had many people attend and share some very harrowing stories

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

about things they have seen in the job and the effect it has had on them. We are not here to provide any competition to any counselling service, which is not what we do. We try and break the isolation and let people know that they are not the only one. We can also help out by referring to needed services, assist with advice as to what has worked with those going before. We can also link into and assist with other AEA services such as assistance with WorkCover or advice about mental health care plans if the member does not wish to go down that road. Meetings are held once a month at the union office and Gippsland has just started up a group in Sale. We hope to be expanding the service to other parts of the state as the year progresses. New people have attended at each meeting and many people have attended multiple times. We see it as a real success and hope that more people consider trying it out and getting the help they need. BankVic is supporting How Are You Travelling? by providing catering for the meetings. Any questions just ask the AEAV or if you want any information, keep an eye out for us on Facebook: Howareyou Travelling

NCAU ACTIVE

New South Wales THE AMBULANCE DIVISION OF the Health Services Union continues to defend changes made to employee entitlements despite a hostile New South Wales government. The Ambulance Service recently implemented a new payroll system and used that to bring about several changes to entitlements by stealth. Those changes have been successfully defended many of those changes but continued diligence is required. Basic entitlements, like the right to be paid in-full and on-time, have become major struggles with a recalcitrant health service failing to fulfil the most basic industrial obligations. Consultation on the ‘Hub and Spoke’ concept in the Sydney region continues however there is no evidence to support the claims of efficiencies with this system. Many areas of the proposal remain unfunded and no extra staff have been allocated for these stations. The Industrial Relations Commission has ruled in favour of the government position on changes to the Death and Disability Award. This will reduce the dollar value by hundreds of thousands for those affected. We will continue a public campaign in the hope of getting similar benefits provided to the Police.

Release Teams who previously allowed operational crews to be made available to respond to cases. The onus is now on hospitals to manage off stretcher times. We wait to see how this goes in the winter months.

Victoria THE FAIR WORK COMMISSION HAS issued a recommendation to deliver percentage wage increases that will take Victorian paramedics from the worst to the best paid in the country. The AEAV sought wages increases of between 15 and 34 per cent at the Full Bench hearing in March. Ambulance Victoria refused to nominate a percentage range. The case centred on the significant changes to paramedic practices since 2005. More than 180 matters were identified in relation to ALS and MICA skills, equipment and pharmacology respectively. Twelve of the union’s 24 witnesses took the stand putting forward brilliant cases for the increases. The Ambulance Victoria barrister failed to obtain a concession from any of them. The Fair Work Commission issued a recommendation on 23 March to deliver percentage wage increases of between 12 per cent (for a Graduate Ambulance Paramedic) and 28 per cent (for a MICA Flight Paramedic) with ALS and MICA

“ Basic entitlements, like the right to be paid in-

full and on-time, have become major struggles with a recalcitrant health service failing to fulfil the most basic industrial obligations.

”

After a long campaign by the HSU, the government has stated that the problems with delayed ambulance are the responsibility of hospitals. This has resulted in the removal of Ambulance

paramedics receiving 20.25 per cent. The wages were backdated with 10 per cent back paid to 1 July 2015 and the remainder split into two equal payments to be paid on 1 July 2016 and 1 December 2016.

The life of the current enterprise agreement (due to expire in December 2016) was also extended until 30 April 2019. In exchange for this extension paramedic and related classifications will receive two further 3 per cent wage increases on 30 April 2017 and 30 April 2018 respectively. The wage increase for non-paramedic classifications is yet to be finalised between the parties but the union is hopeful it will be around the 4 per cent mark. The extension has been warmly received by all members. These positive outcomes were only possible due to the great work of members during the Code Red campaign. The union would also like to thank the numerous delegates and members who volunteered their time in preparing the case. Union members will receive wage increases of between 9 and 12 per cent over three years plus a $1000 sign on bonus. The increases are the result of an ESTA Enterprise Agreement that was certified by the Fair Work Commission on 7 April 2016. Family domestic violence leave and leave donation clauses were also included for the first time in an enterprise agreement to which the AEAV is a signatory.

Western Australia AN INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT PANEL has recommended sweeping changes to the health and wellbeing policies of St John Ambulance (SJA) that could vastly improve working conditions. Members are awaiting the third and final report and will then work through the recommendations. The Chief Psychiatrist finalised his review into paramedic and volunteer suicides and made some strong recommendations that will have a positive impact. The most positive recommendations for members include the clear need for

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

NCAU ACTIVE

SJA to engage in serious consultation with staff in order to increase ‘ownership’ of the health and wellbeing program. The other positive recommendation was in relation to performance management. Members have long had an issue with SJA’s position on performance management as a separate issue to health and wellbeing. Members are all too aware that poor performance and struggling with wellbeing go hand-in-hand. A recommendation that SJA reviews its performance management processes will provide hope to members.

Tasmania MEMBER ENDORSEMENT OF THE EBA was imminent at the time of writing this article with new agreement to expire at the end of November 2017. The service data suggests that overtime is running below historical norms, however members are saying that they ‘have never worked so hard.’ This may be because of the utilisation rates with less time off between jobs, less time for meals, less time for trauma debriefs and less time to take a breath in general. The Department of Health and Human Services White Paper will bring some changes to the ambulance service and its systemic integration with key health bodies but at this stage it is hard to predict what those changes will be. Twelve additional paramedics staff will be added to the system in the state’s north west - the first ‘genuine new crews’ to be added in nearly a decade. Preliminary discussions have commenced towards establishing a wellness program with Ambulance Tasmania. The need for such a program was brought to light by a draft alcohol and drugs policy, which in our view was very punitive and not particularly supportive. The focus appeared to be disciplinary first, then address health issues of substance abuse. We hope that this new approach will be a pragmatic and beneficial process. A new, singular, fully integrated dispatching system has been announced under the ESCAD project. The new system will be fully integrated across the four main emergency service providers. The timeline is extremely tight on this project with implementation due in October 2017.

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Australian Capital Territory A DRAFT WELLBEING PROPOSAL drawing on the best aspects of other service programs has been composed for the ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS). The aim is to promote a comprehensive culture of wellness for ACTAS into the future. The proposal follows a landmark O2C Consultants report titled ACT Ambulance Cultural Review: Instituting Professionalism and Professionalising an Institution from April 2015. This review contained eleven findings and made eight recommendations designed to help the ACTAS evolve into an adaptive organisation with staff wellbeing as a central focus. After a slow start, staff are becoming more engaged in forums. A Project Officer has been appointed and four Project Working Groups (PWGs) have been formed with involvement of around 50 staff representing all areas of ACTAS.

Queensland THE UNITED VOICE STATE COUNCIL MET recently and agreed on a plan around a remuneration inquiry and bargaining, with councillors now seeking endorsement from members in their respective areas (LASNs). United Voice has issued a public call for the State Government to co-fund a large-scale remuneration inquiry to comprehensively assess the value of the work of EMDs, PTOs and paramedics. It’s hoped that this inquiry will re-assess and re-value the work of Queensland Ambulance Officers with their counterparts interstate and in comparable professions. In order to keep attracting and retaining the best and brightest to Queensland, we believe the time’s right to undergo a full assessment of the role of an ambulance officer today. In other news, the unacceptable issue of out of service arrangements for 10-hour shifts has been addressed thanks to the hard work of United Voice members and their union representatives. QAS has given a firm commitment to finish crews on 10-hour shifts following completion of their last case. Ramping has again cropped up as a problem in hospitals across Queensland

“ In ACTAS, the Blueprint for Change is providing us with a rare opportunity to assess where we are at and address the issues holding us back as a service.

”

Other PWGs are looking at specific proposals around leadership and values, communication and information and technical challenges. After a frustrating period with little discernible movement on issues, a number of key initiatives are beginning to progress but there is still much to do. The problems identified in the cultural review are probably common to most Australian ambulance services. In ACTAS, the Blueprint for Change is providing us with a rare opportunity to assess where we are at and address the issues holding us back as a service. Our main challenge is be to engage staff in a spirit of trust and respect and achieve meaningful and lasting change.

recently, leading to United Voice calling on the Health Minister to urgently address the issue. The Minister wrote to the Chairs of all Health Services Boards instructing them to adhere to the Patient Centred Emergency Access Health Service Directive, including that patients arriving by ambulance be received into the appropriate emergency department treatment area and a clinical handover be completed within 30 minutes of arrival. The situation has improved as a result. More broadly, United Voice continues to grow in membership across LASNS statewide with a strong number of graduates joining the union. The union has seen some great new delegates stepping up, with 30 recently completing delegate training.

DEDICATED GIBBSTERS RAISE MONEY FOR THOSE SUFFERING IN SILENCE This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gibb Challenge has raised more than $450,000 for Broome based charity Sirens of Silence (SOS).

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

“ I had an idea with a burning desire. I wanted to

create a change, a change in attitude, a change in culture and a change in responsibility to providing the support that was missing within the ambulance service in WA.

”

THE CHALLENGE, IN ITS TENTH YEAR, sees over 400 riders – or ‘Gibbsters’ as they are affectionately called – cover 700km from Derby to El Questro Station in Western Australia. The event takes place over five days each year in May. This year’s principle beneficiaries will use the money to continue to raise awareness and support mental health services for emergency services staff. Former paramedic Lyn Sinclair, who with her husband Ian, founded the charity about 18 months ago, said awareness had increased since SOS was founded and that the money would help continue that momentum. “There has been a signiﬁcant shift in how services now deal with mental health, well-being and the continual trauma our frontline heroes face,” Ms Sinclair said. “But there is still so much to be done and we will continue to push for AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

further changes to ensure the rates of suicide amongst emergency services are decreased. Prevention is the best cure.” Ms Sinclair got the idea for SOS when she continued to hear of so many of her colleagues taking their own lives. She realised there was not only a lack of awareness but support for these hard working, often ‘silent’ victims of mental health issues. “Having experienced the awful darkness and isolation that depression can bring, I needed to do something,” Ms Sinclair said. “I had an idea with a burning desire. I wanted to create a change, a change in attitude, a change in culture and a change in responsibility to providing the support that was missing within the ambulance service in WA,” she said. “So quite possibly my new way forward was forged as a blessing in disguise.”

“ There has been a

signiﬁcant shift in how services now deal with mental health, well-being and the continual trauma our frontline heroes face.

”

The charity has made signiﬁcant inroads to working with many organisations including Road Trauma Support WA, WA Police and Curtin University just to name a few.

“We are currently working on gaining further relationships with professional services for our members, we have had many offers of assistance from psychological providers, and so we are working to find those who specialise in emergency service mental health.”

ABOUT SIRENS OF SILENCE Sirens of Silence is the brain child of former paramedic Lyn Sinclair and her paramedic husband Ian. Founded in 2015, their aim was to raise awareness of depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention in the ambulance service. The idea came to Lyn one Sunday night as she and Ian watched on television the heartbreaking story of a police officer who struggled with PTSD and eventually took his own life. This story struck a chord with the Sinclairs. Then, only weeks later they heard about an ambulance worker in Western Australia who took his own life. Shortly after that they then heard of another suicide, this time of a paramedic and friend of Lyn’s. The Sinclairs decided to do something to help their colleagues who were suffering in silence. They launched a peer support page on Facebook to allow ambulance personnel to share stories and support each other. Then, after the loss of the sixth ambulance employee in WA within 14 months, the Sinclairs decided a serious change in culture was required. A national remembrance day for the ‘In our Hearts’ ribbon campaign

was launched in December 2014. Within four weeks, 2000 ribbons were distributed around WA, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory. December 22 is the National Day of Remembrance. The next step was a charity to help those who were slipping through the net – and so Sirens of Silence was born.

Sirens of Silence continues to forge relationships with organisations including: • Road Trauma Support WA • WA Police • Hollywood Clinic • Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers and • Psychologist Dr Lauren Breen from Curtin University.

As the charity heads towards its second anniversary, Sirens of Silence has already significantly raised awareness and money to help support the mental health of emergency services workers. With many more organisations offering to support the charity, new partnerships will be announced later in 2016. Membership for Sirens of Silence is free to all emergency service workers across Australia. Visit www.sirensofsilence.org.au for more information.

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

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QLD TASKFORCE TOÂ STOP VIOLENCE 16

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

HEADER

Queensland Ambulance State Council April 2016.

Paramedic Safety anti violence community campaign poster 2016.

Ambulance officers in Queensland are hoping recommendations made by a taskforce put together to tackle violence will reduce the growing trend of unacceptable attacks on their profession.

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

HIGH PROFILE ATTACKS ON ambulance officers across the state, including a vicious and prolonged attack on Paramedic Brad Johnson, triggered the groundswell that led to the Zero Tolerance campaign and the formation of the Paramedic Safety Taskforce. Brad was violently assaulted by a patient he was treating late in 2015. Ambulance officers and their supporters protested outside the court where Brad’s attacker’s case

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United Voice members stand in solidarity at part of the Zero Tolerance campaign outside a Gold Coast courthouse where a man was being charged for assaulting a paramedic.

was being heard under the Zero Tolerance banner, a grassroots campaign of Ambulance Officers and their supporters, sending a public message that enough was enough. United Voice called for the urgent assembly of a taskforce to come up with a plan to tackle the problem. The taskfoce, made up of Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and United Voice representatives, released its final recommendations in late April. A number of recommendations are now in place or underway, including: • A new de-escalation training program, with many Ambulance Officers undergoing the training already • A new public awareness campaign that has received extensive television coverage during peak viewing times and has had a high level of engagement online. The taskforce’s recommendations also include strategies for improving

“ United Voice pushed really hard for this

taskforce to be set up and the collaboration between QAS and United Voice has meant action could be taken swiftly, which is great as it means we’re safer on the job sooner.

”

the flow of communication between QAS and Queensland Police Service, ensuring that ambulance officers enter situations armed with comprehensive and up‑to‑date information. United Voice delegate Liesel Cahalan, who is a paramedic from Brisbane’s Metro South region, was involved in setting up the taskforce. She it had been a rewarding experience she hoped would result in a reduction of violent assaults on ambulance officers.

“United Voice pushed really hard for this taskforce to be set up and the collaboration between QAS and United Voice has meant action could be taken swiftly, which is great as it means we’re safer on the job sooner,” Liesel said. “I’m particularly interested in the roll out of new technologies that will give us increased patient information prior to attending a job, I think this will go a long way to improving our safety out on the road.”

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

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TASMANIAN AMBULANCE PAY DISPUTE #PRIORITY1 CAMPAIGN

Unfortunately the Ambulance Employee Sub Branch (AESB) HACSU members are fighting the Tasmanian Hodgman Liberal Government over pay and conditions. Again! YOU MAY RECALL THAT IN APRIL 2014, Tasmanian Paramedics obtained an outcome for a Work Value Claim (professional rates case). These cases are a once-in-a-generation arbitration. After a thorough examination of the work performed and what value that equates to, the Tasmanian Industrial Commission awarded 14.1 per cent. This was then appealed by the government through the Supreme Court, essentially because the state couldn’t afford it, allegedly. Earlier this year the same process (effectively) delivered a 10.5 per cent pay rise to politicians; we note with interest this hasn’t been appealed via the same mechanisms. Eventually, after a public campaign, the government withdrew its appeal before the courts and we agreed to take the Work Value over three annual increments; the first 4.5 per cent was paid last July, 4.6 per cent and 5 per cent are due in July 2016 and 2017. Some AESB members, however, have not received a pay rise since 2013 (because they are not paramedics). Negotiations for a new/replacement Work Value Claim began in late 2015, almost two years late. After a slow start to bargaining, we made progress with the government appointed negotiators and reached an ‘in‑principle’ deal in February this year. This deal covers the period 2014 through 2017 and delivers essentially a 5 per cent pay over that time for the majority of people, it provides benefit for some members exceeding that quantum, but overall the impact is less than 6 per cent of ‘the wages budget’ over the three years (i.e. it is inside the Government’s Public Sector Wages policy of 2 per cent per annum). We have requested that the Government’s negotiating team make us a formal offer, based on the mutual outcome reached at the negotiating table. This has not been provided and we have been waiting since March for that to happen. At the time of writing this article, it is unknown why the government is not prepared to make us an offer. They have

not come back (they have now had three months) and said we have a problem with x, y or z. In fact there has been no feedback except via the media, where according to the Health Minister “negotiations are ongoing”. Negotiations are not ongoing; we have not met since March, there are no planned meetings; the bargaining has concluded with an in-principle agreement, which should be voted upon by all Ambulance Employees. AESB members have commenced low level industrial bans, to cause difficulty to

the management of Ambulance Tasmania and the DHHS. The bans are designed not to reduce services, where possible, to the members of the public. We want Ambulance Tasmania and the DHHS management asking the government to approve the deal. They agreed to the outcome already. We ask that you get behind our public campaign, go to www.facebook.com/ Priority1HACSU and like our page, offer your support to us. AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

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AMBULANCE OFFICER TAKES OUT STATE DELEGATE OF THE YEAR AWARD By Gary Bullock, United Voice Queensland Branch Secretary WIDE BAY PARAMEDIC AND UNITED Voice Delegate Matt McCann was honoured for his hard work and dedication to both his colleagues and Australian workers more broadly when he was named the Most Outstanding Delegate of the Year at the recent Queensland Labour Day Awards. Matt has achieved many fantastic things in his role as a delegate including initiating local networking through social media, workplace meetings and face-to-face support, organising events and rallies to support and promote the Zero Tolerance campaign for which he garnered extensive local media coverage, and participating in several

industry-based committees including the Paramedic Safety Taskforce. He constantly engages in industry issues but is also an active member on issues that affect the union and Queenslanders more broadly. He has played a key role in the Save Our Weekend penalty rates campaign, taking the issue to his local community through media and social media and also engaging with a number of political stakeholders on the issue. Matt acknowledges that none of this would have been achieved without the support and encouragement from his fellow Wide Bay delegates and LASN State Councillor Michael Formica.

We’re so proud to call Matt a United Voice Delegate and want to congratulate him on the well-deserved win!

VALE

In the past few months, the Ambulance Employees Association of Victoria has said goodbye to two of its own. Here, we pay tribute to Paul Malone and Rod Morris and thank these gentlemen for their contribution to our union.

Paul Malone

Rod Morris

It is with sadness that we advise the passing of retired member and State Councillor Paul Malone following an illness. The Executive of the AEAV, on behalf of its members, wish to express their sincere sympathy to Paul’s wife Dawn, his family, friends and colleagues. Paul was a Paramedic and a founding member of the AEAV who retired due to ill health in 2014. During his time as a member he was a Delegate and a State Councillor working in Numurkah, Gippsland and the Morwell OpCen and Geelong OpCen for a short while. May he rest in peace.

It is with deep sadness that we advise the passing of former AEAV Secretary Rod Morris. Rod started his ambulance career in 1977 and moved to the union as Assistant Secretary in 1992 before serving as Secretary between 1995 and 2005 when he retired. Rod oversaw the big industrial battles against the Kennett Government, which attempted to privatise the ambulance service. He also stopped ambulance communications being run by Intergraph, and his actions led to a Royal Commission into ambulance communications.

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

Rod made a major contribution to the first government ambulance policy under the Bracks Labor Government (1999). His leadership led to many victories which paramedics today enjoy including the MICA paramedic skills allowance, the introduction of the rolled in rate to Rural Victoria, expansion of MICA units into rural Victoria, introduction of the ALS skills allowance and salary packaging at the $30k grossed up level. The executive of the AEAV, on behalf of its members, wish to express their sincere sympathy to Rod’s wife Sandra, family, friends and colleagues.

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NCAU CONFERENCE HOBART, 24-26 AUGUST 2016

Conference topic: ‘Mental Health in Ambulance Personnel’ The conference venue will be the Hobart Function and Conference Centre (hfcc.com.au) Conference hotel is still to be confirmed.

Win a trip to Hobart This year, the NCAU Conference will be held in Hobart from Wednesday 24-Friday 26 August. This year’s conference theme is ‘Mental Health in Ambulance Personnel’, and you could win a sponsored place at the conference and associated events. The NCAU will sponsor a member to attend the conference. To enter: Simply tell us in 250 words or less why you want to go to this year’s NCAU Conference in Hobart for your chance to win return flights, accommodation and a place at the opening night cocktail function. To enter, email your response to aeavic@unitedvoice.org.au Entries close at 5pm on Friday 15 July 2016. THE FINE PRINT: • You must be a current financial member of a constituent NCAU member union to be eligible to enter this competition. • The prize consists of return flights to Hobart with two nights’ accommodation and some meals. Flights depart from your closest capital city on Wednesday 24 August, returning Friday 26 August 2016.

• Some meals, airport transfers and ancillary costs will be the responsibility of the sponsored member (competition winner). • To enter, members are required to outline in 250 words or less why they wish to attend the NCAU Conference. • Applications must be submitted via email aeavic@unitedvoice.org.au by 15 July 2016. • The NCAU will evaluate all entries and select one member to sponsor. The decision of the NCAU will be final and no further correspondence will be entered into. • The member selected by the NCAU to be sponsored must be available to attend the NCAU Conference and will be responsible for organising their own leave from their employer, if required.

• The member selected by the NCAU to be sponsored to attend the NCAU Conference will be required to submit an article about their attendance at the Conference for publication in the November 2016 edition of Ambulance Active.

• The article must be submitted to the NCAU by 30 September 2016.

CONTACTS

Australian Capital Territory Steve Mitchell E: TWUAmbulance@act.twu.com.au P: 02 6280 9353

New South Wales Greg Bruce E: GBruce@ambulance.nsw.gov.au P: 0408 020 609

Northern Territory Erina Early E: erina.early@unitedvoice.org.au P: 0400 030 834

Queensland Michael Formica E: michael.formica@unitedvoice.org.au

South Australia Phil PalmerÂ and Wayne Carty E: info@aeasa.com.au P: 08 8340 3511

Tasmania Tim Jacobson E: tim@hacsutas.net.au P: 1300 880 032

Victoria Steve McGhie E: steve.mcghie@unitedvoice.org.au P: 03 9235 7661

Western Australia Emmet Molloy E: emmet.molloy@unitedvoice.org.au P: 08 9388 5400

AMBULANCE ACTIVE AUTUMN 2016

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