For immediate release: 5 January 2017

St John deducts paramedics’ wages as contract dispute escalates

The union representing 1000 ambulance officers across the country is condemning St John’s decision to deduct 10% off the wages of ambulance officers taking strike action.

The move comes as ambulance officers enter their third month of strike action after collective agreement negotiations broke down.

“Ambulance officers across the country are taking action to draw the public’s attention to issues like growing workloads and mismanagement at the top,” said FIRST Union Transport and Logistics Secretary Jared Abbott.

The strike action includes a uniform ban, meaning ambulance officers who are members of FIRST Union will break the uniform policy and wear t-shirts reading “Healthy Ambos Save Lives”. Ambulance officers are otherwise responding to emergency call-outs as normal.

“The wage deductions are pretty astounding. The actions ambulance officers are taking cost St John nothing.”

According to information FIRST Union received the deductions are for health and safety reasons, but ambulance officers are rejecting their employer’s reasoning.

“If St John is worried about health and safety then they wouldn’t force ambulance officers to work 9 hours without a break and they wouldn’t send single-crewed ambulances to emergencies,” said Abbott.

FIRST Union members are wearing hi-vis clothing and uniforms when and where appropriate.

“It looks like St John is just trying to profit off its own workforce. St John should be offering a pay rise for the hard work ambulance officers are doing, not making a 10% deduction.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media