Ambos’ action set to ramp up

Emergency departments would be overrun and Ambulance Victoria’s internal operations grind to a halt as part of proposed escalation of industrial action by paramedics.

Victoria’s 5600 unionised Ambulance Victoria employees will vote in coming weeks to approve the expanded action in a pay dispute that has been running since March 18.

The battle is one of many being fought by the Allan government, which remains locked in disputes with police and firefighters.

The state’s nurses have also threatened to intensify strike action this week, shutting up to a quarter of public hospital beds and cancelling planned surgeries unless the government offers up a better pay deal.

Ambulance communications, clinical support, triage services, rostering and air operations would all be subject to 75 proposed new actions, with employees switching to manual processes and withholding data as part of the escalation.

It would see staff banned from organising taxis or Ubers for patient transport, prohibit communications staff moving ambulances to other locations for resourcing purposes and stop the double loading of nonemergency patients. Paramedics would also be banned from initiating Virtual Emergency Department consultations, which health insiders said would cause a surge in presentations to emergency departments.

The training of new staff and elite MICA paramedics would also be halted.

The threat of increased action comes amid a stalemate in negotiations that have been ongoing for 15 months.

The Victorian Ambulance Union has been fighting for a better pay deal, improved end of shift management provisions so paramedics can finish on time, and better rural resourcing.