News
14th August, 2020
Ambulance Victoria – Proposed Enterprise Agreement
As members will be aware the Ambulance Victoria Enterprise Agreement 2020 (AVEA 2020 or Agreement) was released for viewing by the workforce on Monday 9 August 2020 (the Access period) by Ambulance Victoria (AV). The purpose of the access period is to provide all employees covered by the AVEA 2020 (and therefore eligible to vote) an opportunity to review the proposed EA document prior to voting.
There will be a two-week voting period which is scheduled to commence next Monday 17 August 2020 and close on 6 September 2020. The ballot is being conducted by the Australian Election Company (AEC) using both online and telephone voting options. You will receive further information directly from the AEC. This is your opportunity to secure the wages and conditions of the new agreement.
Ultimately this is your agreement and YOU decide if the agreement is accepted or rejected. If the agreement is accepted and members vote to approve the proposed enterprise agreement, this will be the first time in Victorian history that AV members have not had to take industrial action to get an agreement.
In our view we have been able to negotiate the best agreement for you which includes improvements to both wages and your conditions of employment. Importantly there is no “trade off” or loss of conditions.
The Agreement
To assist members to understand the improvements negotiated, the VAU have prepared a summary of AGREED claims which are reflected as changes in the AVEA 2020. We have also included reference to other claims that were agreed but will be implemented via an alternative mechanism (e.g. policy).
Table 1: Summary of Agreed Claims reflected in the AVEA 2020 Agreement.
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Wages | |
| * 2% increase to base rate each year to take effect from commencement of new Agreement for a four-year term; | |
| * Introduction of additional increments based on years of service (depending on classification) to the current classification structure to enable those currently capped at Year 3 to progress to Year 6 and then (for those currently capped at Year 6) from Year 6 to a new Year 9(ALS and MICA) in Year 1 of the Agreement. o The new Year 6 increment will be 2% higher than the current Year 3. o The new Year 9 increment will be 2% higher than the current Year 6 and increase over the life of the agreement as follows (2% in Term 1, 2% in Term 2, 2.75% in Term 3, 3.3% in Term 4). | |
| * Additional increments to apply to: o STM MICA and STM ALS (including regional capacity development/enhancement Co-ordinator; Emergency Management Planning Co-Ordinator and Community Engagement Co-Ordinator roles); o CSOs that perform dual function as Clinician and CSO; o ALS and MICA. | |
| * Clinician aggregated rate of pay to be increased by $9,745 and may be utilised for both Metro and Rural; | |
| * Dual role Clinical Support Officers (who perform both CSO and Clinician function) will receive an initial uplift of $3,670 at Year 1 and Year 3 in recognition of Clinician function; | |
| * Uplift of $2,107 for all ALS and MICA Senior Team Managers (and equivalent roles in Regional Offices) in recognition of changes from Operational Restructure. | |
| * Rolled in rate to be locked in at the April 2018 rates to maintain higher rates. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Allowances | |
| * Applicable allowances to increase in line with wage movements and increases; | |
| * Payment of second spoilt meal allowance for crib breaks that are interrupted on shifts with two meal breaks; | |
| * Communication Centre Allowance incorporated into the aggregated base rate of pay for permanently appointed Communication Support Paramedics, Flight Coordinators, RSTP classifications and Clinic Transport Communications Officer | |
| * Increase of lost property allowance from $320 to $600 for any one item | |
| * Single officer allowance to be paid when working with ACOs | |
| * New ‘unsociable hours’ allowance. Payment made to permanent employees who work their normal rostered nights shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday or shifts commencing on the same days and finishing between 0100hrs and 0500hrs the following day. Payment per shift is as follows: o From date of second pay increase – $78; o From date of third pay increase – $138; o From date of fourth pay increase – $162. For on-call employees working unsociable hours, on-call hourly allowance to be increased as follows from the second year of the agreement: o From date of second pay increase – $9.77 per hour; o From date of third pay increase – $10.47 per hour; o From date of fourth pay increase -$11.21 per hour. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Classification Changes | |
| * Insertion of ALS ARU classification; | |
| * Insertion of TM ARU ALS classification; | |
| * Insertion of STM ARU classification; | |
| * Insertion of Rural Senior Relieving Paramedic classifications including ALS, MICA, MICA SRU and MICA Flight; | |
| * If the Paramedic Practitioner model is agreed to and adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services, AV will develop a Paramedic Practitioner classification and terms and conditions in consultation with VAU; | |
| * Insertion of an extended definition of Ambulance Paramedic, PE, TM and STM to ensure coverage when undertaking other duties, for example Manual Handling Coordinator, Manual Handling Facilitator, Peer Responder, Peer Coordinator, Driving Standards Facilitator, Driving Standards Coordinator, Regional Capability Coordinator, Emergency Management Planning Coordinator, Community Engagement Coordinator. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Introduction of a ‘priority to fill location scheme’ | |
| * Annual retention payments for ‘hard to fill’ locations of $5,000 or $2,500 per annum (depending on whether deemed a Category 1 or Category 2 location); | |
| * One off relocation payment of up to $5,000 for hard to fill locations with option to apply payment to HECS fees. | |
| Category | Claims(s) |
|---|---|
| Introduction of Voluntary RSRP model to reduce “spare” | |
| * Protection that all Rural Senior Relieving (RSRP) is voluntary only; | |
| * Funding for up to 150 RSRP secondments to be taken for a fixed term of up to two years or for a single roster-cycle | |
| * Introduction of Single Shift Relieving Allowance of $49 to be paid on an ad hoc basis provided that all RSRP secondments in area have been utilised; | |
| * Insertion of pro rata clause for payment of RSRP and Senior Reserve Paramedic for people on Flexible Working Arrangements. The pro rata payment is in lieu of kilometre reimbursement and travel time of up to 50 minutes for Rural and 60 minutes for Metro; | |
| * The SRP or RSRP rate of pay will be used to calculate the pro rata ordinary rate of pay for eligible employees undertaking FWA’s where the agreed roster pattern includes a reserve or relieving shifts. Where working shifts at alternative fixed locations, the employee will be entitled to claim travel per cl 26.22 of the existing Agreement. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Improvements for parents | |
| * Increase in paid parental leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks; | |
| * Increase in paid partner leave from 1 week to 2 weeks; | |
| * Introduction of prenatal leave of 38 hours for pregnant employee and 8 hours for partner; | |
| * $75 reimbursement of childcare expenses if working incidental or accepting full-shift overtime (maximum 26 claims per year per employee); | |
| * Lactation breaks inserted into agreement with no requirement for these breaks to align with meal breaks. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Non-operational staff | |
| * 8 hours per annum minimum training for administrative and clerical employees; | |
| * Ability to accrue up to 8 weeks leave. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Union facilitation (claim 21) | |
| * Increases to paramedic VAU secondment to 20 weeks per year; | |
| * Increases to ‘release from duty provisions’ for attendance at State Council meetings; | |
| * Increases to leave provisions for delegates to attend workplace relations training. | |
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Other Conditions | |
| * Formal bargaining for the next agreement will begin 1 year before the expiry of the agreement; | |
| * Introduction of a “4 for 5” arrangement to allow employees to work at 80% of their salary for four years and take the fifth year as paid leave at 80% of their salary; | |
| * Air Ambulance employees capped at 8 weeks on reserve as per all Metro employees; | |
| * Insertion of a fixed term employment clause to assist with converting to permanent employment; | |
| * Meal breaks for shifts of greater than 6 hours | |
| * Lateral entry available for persons with prior ambulance experience; | |
| * Insertion of an FWA clause; | |
| * Insertion of a secure employment clause to encourage permanent employment over use of casual and fixed term employment for admin staff; | |
| * Paid defence force leave for up to four weeks per annum to be paid at the ordinary rate of pay; | |
| * Access to ANZAC Day leave for eligible employees; | |
| Other Conditions (cont’d) | |
| * Introduction of Cultural and Ceremonial Leave; | |
| * CI’s to be allowed two roster cycles per year without a student at their home branch; | |
| * Significant improvement to the performance and disciplinary clauses to provide better protection for members and strengthen the ability of the VAU to challenge outcomes; | |
| * Improvements to the dispute resolution and grievance clauses; | |
| * Changes to the consultative committee clause; | |
| * Release from duty to be extended to include attendance at the Fair Work Commission, AHPRA, Court (without requirement of summons) and a Board of Inquiry; | |
| * When filling paramedic shifts AV must take reasonable steps to exhaust paramedic options before asking ACOs to work shifts; | |
| * Graduate paramedics will not be required to work on-call at single officer branches; | |
| * Removal of 5 day waiting period for accident make up pay; | |
| * Introduction of a casual conversion clause to allow casual employees to convert to permanent employment | |
| Other Conditions (cont’d) | |
| * Definition of roster pattern definition to clarify adjustment of hours claims; | |
| * Both metro and rural to be able to request 2 pairs of shorts for uniform; | |
| * Requirement that supporting evidence to obtain bonus 40 hours of sick leave is provided within 3 months of absence in clause 49.3(d) of the Agreement (AV Claim); | |
| * Improvement to overtime clauses to clarify reasonable refusal of overtime and circumstances when this can occur; | |
| * Employer to provide tea and coffee to each branch as per current practice; | |
| * Insertion of facilitative clause for trial of new 0.8 position to operate low acuity ambulance as transition to retirement option; | |
| * Clarification that FWA’s are not considered ’employee initiated roster changes’ for the purposes of clause 38.12(c)(v). | |
TABLE 2: Agreed Claims** to be implemented via policy practice (** not reflected in the terms of the Agreement itself. However, clause 6.4 of the Agreement requires AV to provide updates to the EA Implementation Group about the implementation of the items listed in the below table).
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Conditions | |
| * Improvement to POL/PAC/042 Flexible Work Arrangements Policy for persons undertaking job-share arrangements so they are less disadvantaged in circumstances where one party ends the job-share arrangements; | |
| * The option to take long service leave on a pro rata basis at 7 years of service; | |
| * Improvements to advertising and approving applications for specialist training courses such as Wilderness or USAR; | |
| * Paramedics taking up positions with the VAU to be eligible to apply for leave without pay; | |
| * Registered paramedics from the VAU to undertake shifts as an approved observer to maintain registration; | |
| * AV to inform employees returning to work from parental leave of their rights relating to lactation breaks as part of the return to work process and literature; | |
| * Improvements to Credentialing, Scope of Practice, Higher Duties and Secondments procedures to support employees in maintaining authority to practice; | |
| * Option to elect a local government area or ASA to priority transfer after serving a term (minimum 2 or 3 years depending on location) in a ‘hard to fill’ location; | |
| * Development of a process to facilitate eligible part-time employees to access vacant full-time positions. | |
Table 3: Other ongoing matters to be explored via Working group
*** Note: Clause 6 has been inserted into the Agreement to ensure AV’s compliance with establishing/committing to ongoing attendance at these Working Groups. This clause ensures adequate representation at the Working Groups by interested parties such as VAU representation, subject matter experts and AV representatives.
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| CSO, PE and CI workload | |
| * Working Group will undertake a review of the responsibilities and duties of Clinical Support Officer, Paramedic Educator and Clinical Instructor positions and undertake an assessment of functions/workload. | |
| Meal breaks and end of shift management | |
| * Working Group will undertake an assessment of the meal break and end of shift management, including but not limited to the use of discretionary dispatch warning and the window of opportunity. | |
| AV Operational Communication Centres | |
| * Working group to review function of AV Operational Communication Centres and applicable roles including DMs, CSPs, Clinicians/CSOs and Referral Service employees. Discussion to include management of end of shift procedures, staff support and staffing arrangements. | |
| Alcohol and Other Drug Policy and Procedure | |
| * Working Group will discuss the Ambulance Victoria Alcohol and Other Drug policy and related procedures, including AV’s testing program and industry best-practice, including understanding environmental exposure, in order to identify opportunities for improvements to the current policy framework. | |
| Certified training | |
| * Working Group will undertake an assessment of the benefits of certified training for particular classifications or groups of employees identified by AV where specific specialist knowledge and expertise is required. | |
| Higher duties and secondments | |
| * Working Group will review current practices for the appointment of higher duties and secondments. | |
| Relativity review | |
| * In the year commencing from the third pay increase, the Working group will undertake a review of relativities of the rates of pay of all operational classifications which will include the appointment of an agreed third party with relevant expertise in undertaking such reviews. | |
| MICA rostering | |
| * Working group will undertake a review of MICA rostering practices for maintaining MICA clinical exposure and competency. | |
| AV Updates | |
| * During the life of the proposed Agreement AV will provide updates to the Working Group in relation to the following items: — Implementation of RSRP; — Implementation of proposed policy changes; — Implementation of any roster changes that occur as a result of AV’s commitment to review rostering arrangements to allow branches to convert from 38 hours a week to 40 hours subject to operational requirements. | |
Table 4: Agreed claims** where method implementation a proposed practice changed or commitment to maintain existing practice (**not reflected in the terms of the agreement itself. However, clause 6.4 of the Agreement requires AV to provide updates to the EA Implementation Group about the implementation of the items listed in the table below).
| Category | Claim(s) |
|---|---|
| Proposed practice changes | |
| • Coordination of shift changes by mutual agreement where due to daylight savings employees undertake an additional hour of work on a night shift • AV commitment to support a minimum of ten people completing a Cert IV in Training and Education during work time • Management of support services for employees exposed to ‘stressful’ or traumatic events will be reviewed by Psychological Health and Wellbeing Committee and any relevant experts such as AV psychologists. | |
| Commitment to current practices | |
| • Suitable uniform to be provided to employees that are pregnant • Recruitment and Selection policy to equitably consider people with FWA’s for advertised positions • AV Diversity and Inclusion Council to continue to meet to provide ongoing forum to discuss elimination of gender-based discrimination • Continued provision of statement of service to so as to meet AHPRA requirements • Apply the terms of PRO/PAC/111 for the calculation of parental leave | |
The VAU’s view about the proposed AVEA 2020 Agreement
The proposed AEAV 2020 Agreement delivers an improved wage structure for all members and delivers overall wage increases beyond the Government 2% wages policy (more detailed description of wages offer will be provided in coming days) in addition to increases to allowances and other payments. There are new allowances, improved flexibility, better protection in disciplinary matters and over 55 other improvements to your workplace terms and conditions.
We understand that members would have preferred to have a 3-year deal but despite our best efforts, this was not achievable. Instead we have built in a very strong renegotiation clause which will ensure that formal bargaining will begin 12 months from the expiry of the new agreement. If bargaining does not commence within this timeframe, then parties will be in breach of the agreement and will have grounds to initiate legal action in the courts.
The VAU State Council endorses the proposed AVEA 2020 Agreement for approval by members and encourage you to VOTE YES.
Members who have feedback, questions or concerns about this deal are invited to email the VAU at [email protected].
In solidarity,