Ambos vote in favour of industrial relations deal to put 74 more paramedics on the road

Ambos will accept a deal paving the way for 74 more paramedics following a long dispute with the State Government – but they say more industrial action will follow “when the need arises”.

Ambulance employees have voted to accept a deal paving the way for 74 extra full-time equivalent staff, after a long-running dispute with the state government.

In a vote, 91 per cent of Ambulance Employees’ Association members backed the deal. Treasurer Rob Lucas said candidates with relevant training could be recruited immediately, and those needing training could start later this year or early next year.

Roster reform would be implemented by the end of June, incorporating “more sensible” eight, 10 and 10½ hour shifts, in addition to “12-hour shifts that some staff find long and tiring”.

Ambulance employees have been fighting for extra paramedics to reduce ramping and increases to response times. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Lucas said the union had agreed to cease industrial action.

This includes “chalking”, he said, or writing messages on ambulance windows, such as: “I can’t save lives if I’m ramped”.

On Monday, the ambulance service’s chief executive David Place issued a direction for all chalking to immediately end and for all “graffiti messages” to be removed from ambulances “as a matter of priority”.

Mr Lucas said there was “no way” taxpayers could afford to employ 300 extra ambulance officers – the number the union had said was needed to tackle increased ramping and response times.

He said the “overwhelming majority” of the new staff would be paramedics, but some ambulance officers may be employed in regional areas.

State treasurer says he is “delighted” a deal has been reached. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Of the 74 extra staff, up to 24 will be allocated to country stations.

More paramedics will also be employed once enterprise bargaining negotiations are complete.

Ambulance Employees’ Association secretary Phil Palmer, pictured, said the 74 employees was accepted as the “first instalment” and members would fight on for extra staff.

He said the members who voted against the agreement were concerned 74 paramedics was “nowhere near enough” to resolve “chronic shortages”.

Mr Palmer said the association would continue to speak out, including “chalking messages on ambulance windows and by taking industrial action when the need arises”.

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Ambulance Employees Association secretary Phil Palmer says more industrial action will follow “when the need arises”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe