Health Minister David Davis has been accused of “bullying” paramedics into accepting a pay offer which the union claims workers will have to fund themselves by working harder for longer.
Whittlesea delegate Ward Young said the Health Minister would “use any opportunity to try and attack paramedics” after Mr Davis issued a media release urging paramedics to accept the government’s “generous” offer.
“The offer is consistent with the percentage pay increase and paramedic work-value pay claim sought by the ambulance union,’’ Mr Davis said. “Unfortunately, the hardline left-wing ambulance union leadership is denying its members the pay rise they want for political ends.”
But Mr Young said the government had tried to put unreasonable and unsafe working conditions on paramedics. ‘‘Paramedics could work anywhere in the state at a moment’s notice, adding to the fatigue of our 14-hour night shifts,” he said.
“The worst part is that David Davis wants paramedics to choose between our jobs and our families.”
Mr Young warned such a move would lead to paramedics leaving for other jobs or states, robbing the ambulance service of veteran paramedics and their wealth of knowledge.
“For the money that this government has spent on trying to discredit paramedics in the form of full-page advertisements, it could have bought 480 defibrillators to put in the community, or put more ambulances on the road,” he said.
