Paramedic shortages could cripple New South Wales (NSW) emergency services after union officials walked away from a huge pay rise offer to realign salaries with skills.
The record offer would have delivered professional rates of pay for paramedics and an average 19 percent pay hike, the state government said.
But it was rejected during mediation with the Health Services Union (HSU) on Dec. 8 morning.
“We are bitterly disappointed the HSU has walked away from this,” Health Minister Ryan Park said.
“Our state now faces the real possibility of a collapse of our triple-zero service.
“Make no mistake, this strike action will place lives at risk.”
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Both sides have taken the case to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to help resolve the long-running dispute.
The Labor government said its latest offer did what the union desired in lifting local salaries to on par with those in Queensland, based on take-home pay, by 2025.
“This is the largest government pay increase in recent history and will take NSW paramedics from some of the lowest paid to some of the highest paid in the country,” Mr. Park said.
But in reality, the complex four-year offer did not match base pay for…
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