News

The VAU has continued to bargain with Ambulance Victoria (AV) for a new enterprise agreement to replace the Ambulance Victoria Enterprise Agreement 2020, which expires on 31 January 2024. To date there has been 42 meetings.

While there is no firm agreement on any points, over recent meetings we have started to see some slow but positive progress in some of the key areas where we are aiming to improve members wages and working conditions. This includes:

• Improved access to individual Single Days of Off (SDOs)
  • Ability to lock in well ahead (eg. 6 months).
  • Cash out option.
  • AV will not unreasonably refuse requests.
• Creating a meal break provision for the on-call period (after 4 hrs).
• On-call protected first hour (crews on code 1 warning for first hour of call period).
• ACO meal breaks to be 30 minutes.
• All shifts 6 hours or more to get 30 minute meal break.
• Payment for ACO team leaders when doing approved team leader duties.
• If a paramedic shift is filled by an ACO, and a paramedic becomes available, the paramedic will be put into the shift, and ACO paid minimum 4 hour payment or reassigned.
• Jan 2022 End of shift management policy to be put in EBA.
• An improved process for allocation of Graduates and AP12 paramedics
  • Targeted rural recruitment.
  • Incentivising working in remote rural areas.
• Recognition of time in acting roles and secondments for the purpose of progression through wage bands, while acting and upon appointment.
• Broader payment to CI allowances (to be renamed Direct Supervision allowance) while providing Direct Supervision or approved operational training to Graduates, MICA Interns, and other roles including Driving Standards, RSTPs, CSPs.
• Access to screen breaks for screen intensive roles.
• Addition of a heavier soft-shell jacket to uniform entitlement.
• Rolling living away from home allowance into Reliever rate of pay.
• Primary location for ALS AAV paramedics when working reserve aligned to MICA Flight arrangement.
• Improvements to CI Fast Track classification progression.
  • To apply from level 3 instead of current level 4.
  • Expand to other roles.
• Keeping in touch days able to be undertaken as observer shifts.
  • 10 days per 12 month period.
  • Paid at ordinary rate of pay.
• Structured training for managers.
  • 4 days face to face as well as online components.
  • Total 50 hours of learning.
• Increase to fuel allowance to $0.85 per km for all engine sizes including electric vehicles.  

Members will be given further specific detail on these and other items in due course and the VAU will be seeking feedback from members about each of the proposed changes.

Other key items being discussed include:

The Rolled in Rate (RIR) and Unsociable Shift Incentives 

The Union has put forward several claims to increase unsociable shift allowances in order to incentivise filling shifts on weekends while maintaining the current RIR. The VAU has stated that it is interested in discussing building shift penalties on top of the RIR provided there is no disadvantage to the RIR. AV are interested in recalculating the RIR (which is currently locked in at the April 2018 roster) and shifting value from the RIR to increase shift penalties.

Resource allocation, RSRP and Spare

The Union and AV have both put forward claims to alter the model for allocating resources in Rural Regions. AV is seeking to introduce a two-tiered approach to filling vacancies outside of a member’s home branch; one tier for day-to-day flexibility (RSRP) and a second tier for block months rostered at other rural branches. The VAU position is for an incentivised model in rural that is voluntary only and preserves a members right to start and finish at their home branch.

Over coming weeks and months the VAU will hold online forums for members on specific topics, to discuss the progress of the EBA and to seek feedback on matters being negotiated. It is your EBA and we need your input to shape it.

In Solidarity