Agreement Negotiations
TWU Delegates held a two day planning seminar in preparation of what is anticipated to be significant negotiations for an Agreement. While preliminary discussions have commenced delegates have drafted a log of claims that include significant reform in entitlements and conditions including provisions around leave and rostering. Elections ACT will shortly undertake a ballot of new rosters to be rolled out in late 2022.
ACT AMBULANCE SERVICE MEMBERS CAUCUS
Following the 2022 Annual General meeting of members the TWU Caucus resolved to progress the Accord with the ACT Minister for Police and Emergency Services.
The TWU and the ACT Government are set to sign an Accord to address the issues raised in the independent 2015 review into the culture of the ACTAS (the Cultural Review) and the subsequent recommendations focusing on modernising the ACTAS, made in the Enhancing Professionalism: A Blueprint for Change report (the Blueprint).
Members and the Government acknowledge that significant progress has been made in implementing changes that have had a positive impact on the culture in ACTAS as well as the needed substantial investment in additional paramedic staff made by the ACT Government. However, consistently increasing annual caseloads in ACTAS and rapidly evolving demographic changes are now combining to undermine these advancements.
This accord includes the parties agreed objectives for the modernisation of the ACTAS. These include:
• Creation of an agreed new ACTAS service delivery model. The members and Government acknowledge that this is a key determination that will set the requirements for staffing, training, supervision and strategic planning for resourcing into the future.
• Increased funding to provide immediate clinical support to graduate paramedics as well as general health and wellbeing support of operational paramedics generally.
• Increased funding to provide additional Duty Operations Officers/Shift Commanders to support expanding staff numbers and case load.
• The immediate introduction of an additional Operations Manager.
Noddy Retires
TWU Member, Garbo John ‘Noddy’ Ireland is retiring. “I think I have worked for just about every garbage company there is”, were John’s parting quotes at his retirement drinks in February. After close to 50 years of running (and then driving) the streets of Canberra, Noddy used to empty bins into trucks. During the years, he has seen through many contract changes, many strikes, a number of ACT TWU Secretaries and worked with countless garbos. The truly revealing thing is that none of them have ever had a bad word to say about him. I personally can vouch for that as Noddy was there when I showed up as a fresh faced 18 year old for my first shift at the Phillip depot and he is still liked and respected by all. Congratulations to you, Noddy and to Anne, enjoy retirement.
TWU DELEGATE WINS A CAA WOMEN IN AMBULANCE AWARD
A huge congratulations to TWU Delegate Nicole Day who is one of the recipients of the 2022 CAA Women in Ambulance Awards along with Barbara Stephens and Nicole Price. Nicole Day is recognised for her exceptional example in her role as a Patient Transport officer. When nominated for the award, colleagues wrote, “She has the ability to make staff feel special, takes the time to listen to their concerns and strives to make the workplace better for her colleagues. One way she achieves this is by representing Non Emergency Patient Transport as a Union delegate. delegate.”
Klaus Pinkas
Sub-branch Secretary