THE protracted squabble between the state government and Victoria’s paramedics has gone on for long enough with the two sides having failed to find common ground for the past two years.
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Last month the Napthine government increased its offer in a bid to end the dispute.
It included a $3000 sign-on bonus, up from $1500 in a previous offer, and a 12 per cent wage increase over three years.
The union rejected it and is sticking by its claim that Victoria’s paramedics are the worst-paid in the country.
Paramedics have until August 22 to make their minds up or the government will withdraw the offer.
Twelve per cent over three years might not sound like a bad deal to some, with the average pay rise across most industries hovering around the two per cent a year mark.
But the paramedics are different — their job is to save lives.
The community as a whole has enormous respect for the work that is undertaken by these unsung heroes and heroines.
It is a stressful and often dangerous job.
It can be physically demanding, the hours are anti-social and the trauma and horror that paramedics witness can leave emotional scars that last a lifetime.
They are often first on the scene to the most tragic of incidents — car crashes involving families, horrible farm accidents, suicide attempts, shootings, drug overdoses, the list is endless.
In regional areas, paramedics often know the victims or the relatives of victims, adding to the stress.
Many paramedics who have spent their working lives in the job suffer post traumatic stress disorders, similar to military personnel who have spent time in war zones.
Despite protestations from Health Minister David Davis that the latest deal is a good one, there is still a feeling that the paramedics are being dudded. It is time they got what the deserved and that’s a decent wage for a very important job.
