The current industrial action (bans) were put in place to assist Public Sector workers in the fight with the NSW Government for a fair incremental pay increase. The Union movement has been seeking an increase this year above 2.5% to compensate for real cost of living and wages cut.

While a number of unions have participated in action for this year’s incremental increase, they have engaged in on again/off again activity – whereas ADHSU members have kept on the pressure, implementing ongoing nuisance bans since the beginning of April 2022.

ADHSU members held a stop work meeting this morning to determine whether to lift the current bans that were subject to a Recommendation from the IRC yesterday. At that meeting members discussed the pros and cons of continuing our actions in relation to the matter before the IRC. Overwhelmingly (80%) our members chose to take a strategic pause in the current action.

A subsequent survey sent to members that couldn't attend the meeting highlighted just how angry Paramedics are with a variety of issues, including to the lack of professional recognition, work intensity, fatigue, clinical ceiling, lack of resources, lack of consideration of morale and wellbeing.

While there were many members who want to continue the bans, a majority have indicated that bans should be lifted – for now. Bans are lifted from first day shift tomorrow morning, 19 May.

At HSU Conference this coming week, over 80 ADHSU delegates will discuss current wage matters and the issues raised in the survey this morning. Part of the Conference will be dedicated to the case for Professional Paramedic Recognition.

Between now and then, please take the opportunity for talk to your local ADHSU Conference Delegate prior to the Conference for any matters you want to be raised.

Following the Conference, an all member meeting will be held late next week to discuss the outcomes.

To sum up – the bans listed in this linked document are no longer in place, all other local dispute bans continue as before.