Ambos won’t use specialist skills

By Melissa Grant
CARDINIA and Casey’s 12 intensive care paramedics have threatened to refuse to use their specialist skills to treat emergency patients from today (Wednesday).
The dramatic move could see them sacked, and lives put at risk.
Officers from MICA 16, a unit which covers both municipalities, say they have no choice but to revert to advanced life support paramedics after the State Government refused their requests for a $200 to $300 a week pay rise.
They are among the 330-odd MICA paramedics whose resignations were poised to become effective as of 7am.
But Ambulance Victoria will continue to roster them on as MICA paramedics and has vowed to engage Fair Work Australia if the paramedics carry out their threat.
MICA 16 paramedic “Pat”, who feared a hefty fine and disciplinary action if his real name was published, said while advanced life support paramedics could administer some drugs, they didn’t have the specialist skills needed in life and death situations.
“I can categorically say there will be avoidable deaths,” he said.
Pat said the move would have a particularly devastating effect on heart attack, drowning and head trauma victims. He said those in the country and outer-lying suburbs would also suffer greatly as there would no longer be MICA paramedics to man ambulance helicopters. The State Government had offered a 2.5 per cent pay rise across the board, allowance increases and 10-hour minimum breaks for all paramedics.
However, about 330 of the estimated 370 MICA paramedics have since handed in their resignations.
“For example, I can work on the road unit training students and get paid the same as someone on MICA and have improved rosters and less responsibility,” Pat said.
“While MICA paramedics are devastated by this decision, they figure if there’s no value placed on it by Ambulance Victoria management and the State Government then they’ll stop banging their head against a brick wall.”
However, Ambulance Victoria spokesman James Howe slammed MICA paramedics for not following the “correct industrial process”.
“We have just gone through 15 months of wage negotiations,” he said.
“The important thing to remember is an EBA agreement was reached and singed by the union on 11 August. “We can’t make any changes to that EBA.”
But Pat said while the wage increase satisfied the 2700-odd advanced support life paramedics, there wasn’t enough incentive for MICA paramedics to continue their role.
Mr Howe said Ambulance Victoria hadn’t accepted any of the resignations and had continued to roster on MICA paramedics.
“If the paramedics go through with their threat we will engage Fair Work Australia. Legally we won’t have any choice in the matter,” he said.
Mr Howe said Ambulance Victoria was working to ensure that Victorians would continue to receive the same level of pre-hospital care.
A State Government spokesman said the parties had met several times over the last few days. He said they were meeting again late yesterday, as the Gazette went to print, and were hopeful of reaching an outcome.