WHEN IS THE ACTION?
Start of day shift Friday 8 December 2023 until the start of day shift Friday 15 December 2023. For most stations, this means
the action will conclude at 6:45am on Friday 15 December 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: APA (NSW) members should firstly request to go 3-up with another crew from their station. We
have removed the exemption granted in previous weeks allowing split crews to be formed in certain circumstances. This week of action bans
the creation of split crews.
The above exemption has been removed as, after more than a month and a half of good faith negotiation on our behalf (including
introducing exemptions to our IA) to solve the issue of unsafe single responses, there have been no changes – nor meaningful and tangible
progress – on behalf of NSWA to address these issues.
HOW DO I IMPLEMENT THIS ACTION?
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On sign on, if you are requested to move stations, state: "I have been directed by my union to refuse all staff movements today.
Thank you for the request, but I will have to decline."
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If you are single you may:
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1. Be placed third up with another crew from your station
- 2. Request to be put out of service and work on admin for the rest of the day
If you are not paired up within an hour of the start time of your shift you should request to be marked as out of service.
If you are assigned a job as a single, you are to respond, and perform a dynamic risk assessment. If you do not feel safe, you are
to stage at a safe location near the scene, and only attend scene when backup is within 10 minutes.
If you are assigned a job as a single, even if it is out of area, you must attend to it unless you have other safety concerns
related to fatigue/end of shift overtime. This ban has no impact on your obligation to respond to jobs that are assigned to you.
If you have urgent concerns while undertaking this action as a single, please call us on 0432 415 303.
WHAT COUNTS AS A STAFF MOVEMENT?
Staff movements included in the ban are:
- Moving to another station for day relief
- Staff movements to fill roster gaps
- Splitting dual crews
- Splitting crews on the same station (i.e. splitting two P1s to pair up with two single P1Ts)
- Being moved to pair up with another single, or pairing up with a single moved to your station
- Moving to Paramedic Response Points / PRPs
- Having a Crib away
- Fluid deployments/movements for area cover UNLESS they are within 30 minutes of your home station
If you are single you should ask to be put on admin duties. However, we know some people don’t like being left single. If you do want to
undertake a staff movement so that you are not left single this is okay.
Please note, the 30 minute boundary/exemption is ONLY FOR AREA COVER (when you are asked to standby in an area). It DOES NOT apply to any
other movements, including movements to pair up or movements to fill roster gaps. Per this action, you may ONLY BE ASKED TO MOVE for AREA
COVER and only if you are being asked to move within 30 mins of your home station. For example, if you are at Maroubra and you
are asked to move to Bondi for area cover while the Bondi crew debrief, that is okay. You cannot be asked to go to Bondi to pair up with
another officer, or go to Bondi to fill a gap in the roster.
If you are assigned a job, even if it is out of area, you must attend to it unless you have other safety concerns related to
fatigue/end of shift overtime. This ban has no impact on your obligation to respond to jobs that are assigned to you.
At the start of your shift, make sure you state over the radio that you will be participating in these APA (NSW) actions.
If you are confused or have further questions about this action, talk to your local delegate, or email admin@apansw.com.au.
If you have an urgent concern about this action, call us on 0432 415 303.
ECP SPECIFIC ACTION
No fluid deployments.
If you are an ECP on an ECP car you should refuse all fluid deployments
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If you are requested to move for area cover (to be fluidly deployed), state: "I have been directed by my union to refuse
fluid deployments today. Thank you for the request, but I will have to decline."
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If you are assigned a job, even if it is out of area, you must attend to it unless you have other safety concerns related to
fatigue/end of shift overtime. This ban has no impact on your obligation to respond to jobs that are assigned to you.
- If after you complete a job you are asked to standby or crib at another Station, you should ask to return to your home Station.
CCP SPECIFIC ACTION
Critical Care Paramedics should wear their yellow campaign shirts.
CONTROL IS CONTINUING TO REQUEST I MAKE A MOVEMENT, WHAT CAN I DO?
Continue
to politely decline the movement, and state: “I am refusing this staff movement because my union is undertaking industrial action.”
Maintain respectful communication at all times. However, if you are continually asked after stating that you are taking part in action,
you should inform Control that they can contact their superior, who should raise the concerns directly with the Union – not with you as
individual.
You can provide them the phone number for your Union: 0432 415 303.
If you are in this situation, contact your local delegate or if you have urgent concerns call APA (NSW) at 0432 415 303.
I'VE BEEN TOLD I NEED TO MAKE A STAFF MOVEMENT FOR (CLINICAL OR STAFF) SAFETY REASONS, WHAT DO I
DO?
State the following: “My union has given me a directive to refuse [this] staff movement. I am not creating a safety risk, I am participating
in Industrial Action. If you have concerns, you may contact my union.”
Refusing a staff movement is not a clinical risk for patient treatment. NSWA not having enough resources in an area is an operational
requirements issues, which is a matter for NSW Ambulance to resolve. If there is a legitimate safety concern, NSW Ambulance knows the
correct procedure is for them to contact the union, NOT the individual Paramedic.
You can provide them the phone number for your Union: 0432 415 303
If you are in this situation, contact your local delegate or if you have urgent concerns call APA (NSW) at 0432 415 303.
