A major health union has claimed a dropped media story dropped during tense wage negotiations has “derailed” wage negotiations.
The Health Services Union (HSU) is meeting with NSW Health representatives at the Industrial Relations Commission on Monday in an attempt to broker a deal amid threats more than 2100 paramedics will be pulled out of the workforce from New Year’s Day.
It’s feared the move could cripple NSW’s triple-0 service on one of the busiest days of the year.
Amid tumultuous and protracted wage negotiations, about 40 per cent of NSW’s paramedic workforce have committed to boycotting their professional registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). That will prevent them from being paid or being rostered past December 31.
HSU secretary Gerard Hayes was adamant the workforce needed a 20 per cent increase to base wages to stop paramedics leaving for other states and rubbished the figures put forward by the state government.
Negotiations on Friday appeared to blow up when media reports amid arbitration suggested paramedics were poised to reject the government’s pay deal.
The government says its wage offer would increase take-home pay (base pay in addition to penalty rates and overtime) by 11 to 25 per cent over four years.
A typical first-year paramedic’s take-home pay would increase by 11.4 per cent, from $123,594 to $137,683.72, while a sixth-year paramedic’s pay would increase by 25.8 per cent, from $132,544 to $166,740.
Mr Hayes said he only learnt of the media report after the meeting had ended, saying it left him “gutted” and “derailed” talks.
“The reality is what the government did last Friday by going to the media was not helpful at all, and it was not factual,” he said.
Flanked by paramedics, Mr Hayes also said there were “very few” paramedics whose salary neared the figures listed by the government without working full day shifts and doing multiple call-outs at night.
“How are you going to project that you’re going to do 200 hours overtime or two hours overtime, and why should you have to work overtime to be respected in your base rate which is reflective of your work daily?” he said.
Earlier on Monday, Health Minister Ryan Park said discussions had continued over the weekend, and he believed the government had put forward a “strong offer”.
“We remain at the table because we want to make sure they’re paid more, but at the same time we need to protect one of the bedrocks of our health system and that is triple-0,” he said.
Mr Park believed a resolution would be reached this week.
“I know there’s a determination from myself, government and health to get this matter resolved,” said Mr Park.
The sentiment was matched by Mr Hayes.
“I think anything is possible if you have the will to do it. We have the will to do it,” he said.
“These people behind me want to be looking after people on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day and right throughout 2024.”
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said their needed to be more urgency with the government’s response to the crisis. He said it was imperative the wage dispute was resolved by this week “so people have certainty from New Year’s Eve”.
“We’re now only three weeks away from the prospect of the triple o system collapsing and lives potentially being at threat,” Mr Speakman said.
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