News

On Thursday 15 July 2021, the Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU) attended a bargaining meeting with Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). This was the first bargaining meeting to occur since a mediation was conducted on, 26 April 2021.

Current ATA 2 rates will remain for existing employees. Instead of the ATA 2 classification for future employees, RFDS has proposed to implement an hourly skills allowance of $2.00 on top of the ATA 1 rate for registered Paramedics with 5 years’ experience in an emergency ambulance service.

For the Registered Nurse, ATA 3, classification, RFDS are proposing that these employees will be transferred onto a separate Nurses Agreement. This Agreement would cover nurses who RFDS currently employ in Non-Emergency Patient Transport and in other areas of RFDS. It is also the VAU’s understanding that Registered Nurses employed under a separate Nurses Agreement and who are currently paid at the rate of ATA 3, would be paid a similar hourly rate.

Employment Progression

A new clause has been proposed which clarifies an employee’s progression through the year-levels with incremental wage increases annually (capped at 4 years for the ATA1 classification). New employees will also commence at the pay point that reflects their years of experience. This includes their experience with other providers.

Inclusion of the Ambulance Patient Transport Industry Award

Throughout bargaining the VAU have sought to retain the inclusion of the Award into an agreement. The importance of inclusion is to ensure that if the Award, which sets the minimum set of conditions for the industry, is improved those improvements will apply to RFDS employees. The VAU are pleased to inform members that RFDS have agreed to your claim and have agreed to incorporate the Award into a future agreement.

Wage increases

RFDS have offered a new pay increase. Previously, RFDS had offered yearly pay increases of CPI. RFDS are now proposing increases of CPI or 1.5 %, whichever is higher. Pay increases would take effect in the first full pay cycle after 1 July, commencing 2022, until expiry of the agreement.

Shift Worker Definition

RFDS has proposed a slightly altered definition of shift worker, for the purposes of qualifying for a fifth week of annual leave. RFDS has proposed that a shift worker be defined as the following:

A permanent employee who is:

a) A full-time employee able to be rostered to any shift starting time, or a part time employee whose agreed roster pattern includes ordinary hours concluding between 00:00 and 09:00; and

b) During the financial year (i.e. from 1 July to 30 June) worked 150 or more weekend hours, with hours between 00:00 Saturday and 23:59 Sunday constituting weekend hours. For the purposes of calculating the weekend hours, on-call shifts will count only if called out for

However, it is unclear whether the 150 hours referred to in b) of the definition will be pro-rata for part- time employees. The VAU are seeking clarity on this issue.

End of Shift Overtime

RFDS has proposed a clause that could provide clarity on whether crews can be required to work additional overtime if dispatched to a job towards the end of a rostered shift. Although the proposed clause is not entirely clear, it is RFDS’s view that a job can be refused if dispatched in the last 60 minutes of a shift but if dispatched before the last 60 minutes of a shift, the crew must accept the job.

Next Steps

Whilst further discussions are still necessary, the VAU welcomes the progress achieved. We thank all the VAU members and especially our delegates for their ongoing support, patience with the bargaining process and participation in Industrial Action.

Given that there has also been a new proposal, we are seeking member feedback. If you have any feedback, could you contact your NEPT organisers:

• Bruce Fine: [email protected] or
• Kerry McLean: [email protected]

Please contact them before Monday 26 July 2021, as we have a further bargaining meeting scheduled for Tuesday 27 July 2021.

In solidarity,