Cleaners hired to remove anti-government slogans from ambulances

TAXPAYERS’ money is being used to pay contract cleaners to remove anti-government slogans from Tasmanian ­ambulances — a job usually done by paramedics.

TAXPAYERS’ money is being used to pay contract cleaners to remove anti-government slogans from Tasmanian ­ambulances — a job usually done by paramedics.

Ambulance Tasmania chief executive Paul Templar said one new contractor had been hired and the hours of existing cleaning contractors had been extended since staff began ­industrial action over derailed EBA negotiations.

Health and Community Services Union state secretary Tim Jacobson said he understood contract cleaners were being paid up to $40 an hour to clean every Tasmanian ambulance daily.

A Tasmanian Health Service spokesman said wages paid to contract cleaners were commercial in-confidence and he was unsure how many contractors were used by Ambulance Tasmania across the state.

Paramedics have implemented a ban on cleaning ­ambulances as part of their industrial action, but Mr Jac­obson said the ban did not extend to windows for safety ­reasons.

“What I do know is that all of the Southern region, North and North-West vehicles are scheduled to be cleaned daily,” he said.

Mr Jacobson said it was ­unusual for ambulances to be cleaned that regularly.

“What I can say is that ­almost immediately after the vehicles have been cleaned, my understanding is new slogans and new art have gone back on to the vehicles,” he said.

Mr Templar confirmed that removing “unauthorised ­defacing” from Ambulance Tasmania vehicles had been added to the duties of existing cleaning contractors.

“I wrote to paramedics last week stating my concerns that the defacing of vehicles to promote a union campaign had the potential to undermine community perception of ­Ambulance Tasmania’s professionalism,” he said.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the Government was keen to settle the EBA dispute.