VICTORIAN paramedics, including those from Wodonga, are speaking out about their pay dispute with the state government via messages painted on the windows on front and rear of their ambulances.
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The paramedics are seeking a 30 per cent pay rise over three years, bringing them in line with their interstate counterparts.
They say their “war-chalking” is a way of letting their feelings be known to both Ambulance Victoria and the government which has a public sector wage limit of 2.5 per cent a year plus productivity gains.
But the practice has drawn criticism from Ambulance Victoria which says the “war-chalking” is not considered protected industrial action and the writing on the windows might compromise safety and create a negative impact on community confidence in the service.
The paramedics dispute those claims, arguing their latest campaign focus comes after politicians voted themselves a pay rise.
Their move was always going to upset Ambulance Victoria and Spring Street, who would perhaps be better advised to find a way to break the impasse between them and the paramedics and end a dispute that has been going for far too long.
