Ambos win pay rises of 2.5 per cent backdated to 2018
They haven’t had a pay rise since 2017 but SA Ambulance Service officers have now overwhelmingly voted to accept a new deal.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SA Ambulance officers have approved a new enterprise agreement giving them their first pay rise since 2017.
The deal, approved by 97 per cent of voting employees, provides for an annual pay increase of 2.5 per cent backdated to the expiry of the last enterprise agreement in 2018 and running until December 2024.
It also includes reform of rostering and afternoon shift arrangements and changes to allowances paid by the SA Ambulance Service (SAAS), which will mean workers are not financially disadvantaged when they take maternity leave compared to other kinds of leave.
Health Minister Chris Picton said Labor achieved in four months what the previous Liberal government was unable to do in four years.
“After what was undoubtably an appalling situation that saw SA’s ambos not receive a pay rise for over four years, this has finally been fixed,” Mr Picton said.
“We made a commitment to the future of our ambulance service and we have delivered a crucial pay rise to ambos within months of being sworn in.”
He noted the pay deal was on top of the state government’s commitment to employ 350 new paramedics and ambulance officers, and to spend $37m on new ambulances.
Industrial Relations Minister Kyam Maher said the deal “couldn’t have come at a better and more necessary time for our ambos”.
“Settling this agreement so quickly shows the Malinauskas Government’s commitment to bargaining in good faith to reach an outcome for the tireless paramedics who keep South Australians safe,” he said.
🚨Sat 1pm: SA Ambulance OPSTAT White 100% ambulance utilisation and pending emergency cases.
— Ambulance Employees Association (SA) (@aeasa1981) July 23, 2022
‘Operational capacity, capability and/or resources are insufficient to maintain effective service delivery for high acuity cases’ … ‘Patient safety is directly affected. pic.twitter.com/bTcGJtFTGs
The pay rise comes as the ambulance service continues to face pressure with record ramping.
At 1pm on Saturday, SAAS declared an OpStat White alert for the metropolitan and Adelaide Plains area.
That meant “operational capacity, capability and/or resources are insufficient to maintain effective service delivery for high acuity cases”.
Ambulance Employees Association state secretary Leah Watkins welcomed the agreement saying: “It’s been a long time coming — the last pay rise was in December 2017 and since then we’ve been dealing wth the pandemic and ramping, so this is good news.”
On Saturday the Royal Adelaide Hospital opened its third Covid ward, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has opened its first Covid ward and Angaston Hospital has converted a ward to a 23 bed Covid-only facility.
New Covid cases fell to 3864 on Saturday, while there were 354 people in hospital including 12 in intensive care. Three deaths were recorded.
Alleged knife-wielding teen, 14, charged over armed robbery
A teenager will face court today after he allegedly robbed a store and threatened staff with a knife before hiding.
Tragic drowning victim only just reunited with children
A man who drowned after falling from rocks while fishing off Yorkes had only recently been reunited with his family, amid warnings for migrants and refugees.