Ambulance Victoria loses estimated $1m a day as industrial action escalates

Victoria’s ambulance service faces a million-dollar daily crisis as pay disputes paralyse its ability to charge patients for emergency transport.

Ambulance Victoria is losing an estimated $1m a day amid ongoing industrial action which has limited the organisation’s ability to invoice patients including for lucrative transport fees.

Multiple Ambulance Victoria sources have confirmed the $1m figure, warning the ongoing action could impact ongoing operations.

And while Ambulance Victoria said the lost revenue could be recovered in due course, sources said the time period to recover losses wasn’t indefinite.

Ambulance Victoria is losing an estimated $1m a week amid ongoing industrial action. Picture: David Crosling

Union members in billings and finance departments are deferring and delaying

processing of ambulance invoices to the community, which sources said was “having a profound cashflow impact on Ambulance Victoria in the order of $1m a day.”

Analysis of recent annual reports shows that the agency has previously only been able to partially recover transport fees lost because of similar industrial action.

In 2024 Ambulance Victoria suffered a multimillion-dollar hit, receiving $188m in transport fees compared to $197m the year prior, when paramedics took action over a new pay deal.

It recovered some of that money back last year, securing almost $205m in transport fee revenue which contributed to an overall $27.5m surplus.

Some of that reflected the “partial recovery of transport fee income from the prior year, which had been adversely impacted by protected industrial action,” the annual report said.

Ambulance Victoria remains locked in a bitter pay dispute with corporate staff, with hundreds of employees launching industrial action to end more than six months of negotiations.

Actions have included stopping approvals for flexible working arrangements, participation in recruitment processes, attending meetings with executives, and submitting reports.

Hundreds of employees have launched industrial action to end more than six months of pay negotiations.

Staff have also committed to not responding to rostering and payroll queries, or undertaking staff or meetings with ­executives.

The Ambulance Managers & Professionals Association have vowed any action would prioritise community safety.

Staff were this week told the Graduate Ambulance Paramedic, Graduate Bridging Paramedic, and Driver Training programs had been paused because of the action.

“This pause is necessary as some protected actions restrict a range of core functions required to deliver the programs safely and on time,” a staff notice said.

“As a result, key activities such as enrolments, reporting, learner and program administration, scheduling, accommodation processes, and other essential program and database updates cannot be performed during this period.

“We understand the impact this may have on program progression and appreciate your patience and professionalism during this time.”

Paramedics last year locked in pay increases ranging from 16.98 per cent over four years to more than 20 per cent in a $600m pay deal.

It followed more than 18 months of negotiations and escalation strike action.

Staff were this week told the Graduate Ambulance Paramedic, Graduate Bridging Paramedic, and Driver Training programs had been paused because of the action. Picture: David Crosling

The Ambulance Managers and Professionals Association lead, Pierce Tyson, said that the lowest paid Ambulance staff were having the largest cost impact on the organisation’s operations.

“Every dollar lost by Ambulance is a new opportunity to recognise the critical work of

staff that help keep paramedics on the road,” he said.

“We anticipate that nearly all money lost can be recovered if we have a quick resolution to the enterprise agreement.

“Collectively, our members have hundreds of years of experience saving lives, and

industrial action has not, and will not, affect patient or employee safety.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the organisation respected the right of employees to take action.

“Ambulance Victoria continues to engage positively with employee representatives as we negotiate a new Ambulance Victoria Management and Administrative Agreement,” she said.

“We remain confident that a fair and equitable outcome can be negotiated which is reflective of the value and contribution of our people and the role they play in supporting our frontline paramedics.

“Ambulance Victoria respects our people’s right to take protected action during these negotiations.”

Originally published as Ambulance Victoria loses estimated $1m a day as industrial action escalates