In an unprecedented move, patient transport officers and paramedics will on Thursday impose a joint 24 hour ban on transporting discharge patient from hospital to home or a residential aged care facility, as frustration mounts over flatlining wages and the surging cost of living. The green and red fleets have not previously taken combined action. Exclusions will apply for end of life patients and those on dialysis. The action will run from the start of the first shift Thursday (0600) to the start of the first shift Friday. HSU NSW Secretary, Gerard Hayes, said the morale of the workforce was crumbling, with many workers considering moving to the ACT or Queensland. “The NSW Government had the option to remove the wages cap by changing the ministerial regulation the day after the election. It chose not to. And every day since we have wondered when we will see action. “Our Union has offered to participate in wide ranging reforms to make hospitals run more smoothly and efficiently, alongside professionalised pay that recognises upgraded skills and value. We are yet to see meaningful progress on either of these fronts. “We can not ignore the cost of living crisis. It is unfolding in real time with devastating consequences. The weekly rent for a typical Sydney home has climbed 25 per cent in the last year. Mortgage interest rates have skyrocketed. “Health care workers did not create this crisis but we are being asked to pay the price. “We take this action reluctantly but decisively. It has been designed to minimise impact on people in especially vulnerable situations. “Our offer to work with the Government remains live.”
Gerard Hayes 0417 275 821
