More than half of the ACT's paramedics have met at an ambulance station in Canberra's inner north to protest their current working conditions.
The ACT Ambulance Service, backed by the Transport Workers' Union (TWU), held a union meeting to call for an improved rostering system, more support from the Emergency Services Agency ESA and better working conditions.
The union said paramedics were facing long night shifts with very little support and a faulty communication system.
Yesterday, more than half of Canberra's 220 paramedics backed the TWU's campaign for improved rostering and better conditions.
The group has also moved a vote of no confidence in Emergency Services Commissioner Georgeina Whelan.
ACT Paramedic Darren Neville said the current rostering was a major issue, but he didn't feel that the government was listening to that feedback.
"We're doing 14-hour night shifts, back-to-back with a 10-hour break. So in 38 hours you're doing 28 hours work," he said.
"We don't feel as though we're being heard or being treated seriously."
'I think it's time for it to finish'
ACT paramedic Simon Gallagher spoke at the meeting, bringing forward the resolution endorsing an improved rostering system to be implemented by July 2023.
Mr Gallagher said the current rostering was causing harm to workers, running them off their feet.
He said paramedics were exhausted after long shifts, saying many have nearly fallen asleep on the way home.
"It's fatiguing [and] it's dangerous, not only for us but for anyone involved," Mr Gallagher said.
"I don't know how many people have half fallen asleep on the way home after a night shift – I've definitely fallen asleep at a set of lights, driving home thinking 'what am I doing?'
"I think it's time for it to finish."
A yell of "hear, hear" came from the gathered paramedics.
Commissioner Whelan said the new roster would deliver two things: paramedic wellbeing and adequate staffing for community safety.
"It will deliver a roster system that will address the demands of what is a growing ACT community, but [it] will also address training, fatigue, welfare and the wellbeing of our paramedics," she said.
"This type of roster will be the only one of its kind in Australia."
She said while developing the roster the government had also invested "a considerable amount" of money to increase paramedic numbers and reduce overworking of staff.
But rostering is only one of the concerns ACT paramedics have.
Ben Sweaney from the Transport Workers' Union said an overhaul of the communications centre had been a failure.
"The one ComCen program has lagged for seven years and delivered nothing other than a change in uniforms," he said.
"The ComCen, unfortunately, in doing 5,000 jobs on average a month, is a rudderless ship lost at sea in a fog."
Vote of no confidence for commissioner
The Transport Workers' Union vote of no confidence against Commissioner Whelan was unanimous.
Commissioner Whelan said she had been working with the paramedic leadership team in the ESA an the TWU to modernise the ACT Ambulance Service, and she had been doing so since her appointment as commissioner in 2019.
She said she respected the opinions of the paramedics and the TWU, but was disappointed by the vote of no confidence.
"As you can imagine, I'm very disappointed that there would be a vote of no confidence, but I will continue to do what I have always done, which is work with the chief of ambulance to ensure we have a safe and capable ambulance service," she said.
"The paramedics that work with me day in and day out know what commitment I have made to this agency and to their service, and I stand by the work I've contributed to date."
Commissioner Whelan said despite the vote of no confidence against her she had a great deal of appreciation for the work of the territory's paramedics.
"I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the hard work that paramedics do put in here in the ACT 24/7," she said.
"I too am a recipient of the services that an ambulance provides, and I remain grateful as a citizen of this community – as I do as the commissioner – for what they do day in and day out."
