United Workers Union members have reached an in-principle EBA agreement with the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS), with commitments they hope will improve conditions and safety across the service.
Members had focused on concerns around work-life balance and finish-on-time measures for paramedics, with workers often forced to stay on shift long after their 10-12 rostered hours of work were over.
While the EBA does not address all the issues raised, it does create opportunity for more improvements and stronger accountability for QAS. Some key improvements include increased compensation for night shift work, increased sick leave accrual and compensation for rural and remote staff working in single officer locations.
Finish-on-time initiatives include:
- QAS to formally engage with the Health Director-General to ensure Hospital Health Services prioritise QAS crews on end-of-shift overtime for transfer of care
- End-of-shift fatigue measures, including:
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- Shift extension escalation processes
- Restocking stations for vehicle readiness
- Expanded end-of-shift crew model
- Return to community status for frequently extended crews
- Mandatory out-of-service processes
- Staggered rostering
- Priority pairing for single officers
- Filling acute & specialist shifts
- Fatigue management training and reporting
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Quotes attributable to Fiona Scalon, Ambulance Coordinator, United Workers Union:
“Throughout this entire process, members’ voices have been central – from shaping claims, to putting arguments directly at the bargaining table, and in meetings with the Minister for Health and Ambulance.
“A member survey has confirmed that this EBA offer is worth endorsing. We’re pleased to reach an in-principle agreement with QAS which recognises the importance of ambulance workers and provides commitments to better support them.
“We look forward to seeing these commitments implemented, particularly around end-of-shift measures designed to help paramedics finish work on time and reduce fatigue. While the EBA sees some movement on finish-on-time procedures, there is more work to be done.
“We’ll continue to engage with QAS on this and other resourcing issues, which will help alleviate the impact of ramping.
“As the Union has continually raised, the key to providing a safe and sustainable ambulance service to protect Queenslanders is more workers.
“There simply is not enough ambulance workers to safely support our growing population, and this is something that still needs to be addressed.”