Video message from Gerard Hayes here

As many members know, ADHSU members took very aggressive industrial action last year, including banning 2Is and breaching orders.

As part of that process, ADHSU delegates met with Mr Perrottet to talk about setting up a genuine road map to paramedic professional pay and how it should be implemented.

Delta, Omnicron, floods, and all sorts of things got in the way and delayed that process.

However, after several meetings and multiple letters between the parties, the Health Minister has written to ADHSU agreeing to convene a ‘Paramedic Workforce Forum’.

The members of the forum will include ADHSU subject matter experts, NSWA experts, and Ministry Experts, along with officers from the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

The forum will examine the near future benefits brought by the professionalisation of paramedic pay, the already locked-in skills enhancements that have been occurring over the years, and what the potential and actual increase in competency warrants as far as professional pay.

While the forum represents an exciting, once in a lifetime opportunity for the profession in NSW, we still have our work cut out for us.

The government will not simply professionalise paramedic pay because we ask nicely – the government is going to expect us to prove to them, and the community, that paramedics’ current and future skills warrant a significant increase.

To that end, ADHSU is forming a number of member sub-committees. Now’s the time to be involved. Talk to your station rep. If you don’t have one, consider coming one yourself – contact the ADHSU organiser [E-Mail not displayed].

Again, this is an exciting opportunity to be part of being the first paramedics to be properly recognised as professionals.

Link to video message: https://youtu.be/yWIQ7Q9DQWo