Paramedics, nurses and midwives to join NSW-wide strike actions

The 125 paramedics in Dubbo, Narromine, Gilgandra, Orange and Bathurst have expressed their support for members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association voting on Friday whether they call off work for 24-hour so their demands for 4.75 per cent pay rise and increased staffing levels are genuinely heard.

But that support to nurses and midwives need not mean paramedics are not responding to triple-0 emergency calls, the representative of the western NSW Australian Paramedics Association, Scott Beaton, told the Daily Liberal.

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"We will still be transferring patients to hospitals and we will respond to anyone who dials for emergency service because we are not going to endanger people's lives but why we are taking action is because we are exhausted from inaction by the minister and premier," Mr Beaton, who is based at Gilgandra and Dubbo said.

Last week's Industrial Relations Commission ruling has made it it unlawful for paramedics to refuse a shift in another ambulance station, according to Mr Beaton.

"We cannot do that action due to the ruling but it doesn't mean we can't take further actions," Mr Beaton insisted.

The two associations of frontline health workers has sent their core demands to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

Mr Beaton said they are disappointed to receive a response through "a six-line letter from the Premier that he is going to refer our matter to the health minister."

"We haven't heard from the health minister either," he added.

If Mr Perrottet and Mr Hazzard met with the two associations and agreements are reached, Mr Beaton said, the industrial action may be cancelled otherwise the industrial action would take place across the state notwithstanding the IRC ruling.

"Paramedics in NSW are exhausted working 12 to 16 hour shifts daily and its quite tiring with on-call roster components and with COVID, it has been exceptionally busy across the services," Mr Beaton said.

"We're really over it that's why we want action because NSW has the lowest number of paramedics at 47 per 100,000 population compared to 71 in Queensland and 76 in Victoria."

Across NSW, there are 4000 ambulance personnel and 1000 paramedics. The APA is demanding a pay increase more than 2.5 per cent offered while the nurses want 4.75 per cent, additional 1500 paramedics, investment in paramedic training programs, improve community care and reduce the burden on the hospital system.

Mr Beaton said extra paramedics would fill the gap and cover for staff movements when crews are rostered to cover shifts away from their designated station because "it is quite tiring" to be moving from one ambulance station to another.

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