Dear Members,
Your AEAWA Executive Committee has been working diligently on several significant matters affecting our membership. We wanted to provide a detailed update on the formal correspondence we’ve submitted to St John WA management over the past month:
Post-Shift Radio Dispatch requests (Feb 19)
We’ve formally requested the immediate cessation of the practice where crews are contacted after their rostered shift end time, particularly using open radio channels to make emotive requests for crews to continue working i.e. P0. We’ve highlighted that: This practice appears to breach Section 343 of the Fair Work Act
- It creates public pressure through open channels and uses emotional leverage
- It exploits the power imbalance between management and crews
- It weaponises professional ethics against personal wellbeing
- It’s directly contrary to St John’s own dispatch procedures and SOPs
- It does not address the underlying issue of insufficent crews and ramping
We’ve requested written confirmation that this practice will cease immediately, with clear directives issued to SCC management and alternative resourcing strategies implemented.
Please note that this practice occurs at the direction of managers in SCC and not initiated by our amazing radio dispatchers.
Reasonable Overtime Dispute (March 10)
We’ve formally escalated our concerns regarding reasonable overtime through the Dispute Settlement Procedure after St John’s inadequate response to our previous communications. We’ve highlighted that:
- Statistical averages don’t reflect the impact on individual paramedics experiencing repeated overtime
- EA clause 31.2 was negotiated to provide clearer guidance than Fair Work Act provisions
- Despite St John’s aim “to ensure shift extensions don’t exceed two hours,” no formal policy exists
No concrete commitments or timeframes for addressing unreasonable overtime have been provided We’ve requested development of clear criteria, transparent monitoring processes, formal mechanisms for staff to raise concerns, and measurable targets for reducing overtime.
Systemic Fatigue Management (Feb 10)
We’ve challenged St John’s improper fatigue management practices, particularly where:
- Crews are being assigned excessive workloads due to understaffing
- Metropolitan crews are being dispatched to distant locations
- Required breaks are not being facilitated
- Members are being pressured to use personal/sick leave when reporting fatigue
- SCC management is not following proper fatigue risk assessment procedures
This practice potentially breaches not only St John’s own Fatigue Management Procedure (OSH-P03) and EA clause 30.18, but also the Work Health and Safety Act and potentially constitutes adverse action under the Fair Work Act.
Driver’s License Renewal Communications (Feb 10)
We’ve addressed the unreasonable approach to license renewals where:
- Members are receiving demanding emails up to ten days before expiry dates
- Communications contain unnecessarily threatening language
- Multiple follow-ups occur while licenses are still valid
- No grace period is provided for documentation submission
- The process doesn’t account for normal DoT processing times
We’ve requested a more reasonable timeline, clearer procedures, and more professional communication.
Paramedic Intern Case Studies Dispute (Feb 25)
- We’ve initiated a formal dispute under clause 38 of the EA regarding:
- Mandatory case studies required to be completed in unpaid time
- The unreasonable expectation that these can be completed during operational shifts
- The fact that this constitutes unpaid work for a mandatory employment requirement
- Back payment for current and former interns who’ve completed these studies
We’ve proposed several solutions including dedicated paid time, appropriate overtime rates, or special rostered shifts.
Crew Mutual Changeover Policy (Feb 28)
Following an incident in Kalgoorlie, we’ve sought clarification on mutual changeover procedures:
- A day crew was incorrectly tasked after being properly relieved by a night crew
- Management incorrectly claimed this was a “grey area” in policy SOPO-1026 clearly permits changeovers less than an hour prior to shift end
- Once relieved, crews should not be available for further tasking
- This has direct implications for fatigue management and staff wellbeing.
Depot SelCall Alarm System (Mar 10)
We’ve raised significant workplace health concerns about the harsh SelCall system:
- Research shows sharp workplace noise exposure has adverse health outcomes
- Physiological impacts include elevated stress hormones, increased blood pressure
- Potential for sleep disruption and cardiovascular complications
- Regulatory obligations under WHS legislation
We’ve requested a comprehensive review, investigation of alternatives, and formal consultation.
Personal Mobile Phone Use (Mar 10)
- We’ve objected to inappropriate use of members’ personal contact information:
- Members receiving work communications during days off
- Privacy concerns about accessing numbers from HR records
- Right to Disconnect provisions under the Fair Work Act
- Negative impacts on mental health and wellbeing
- Absence of any mobile phone allowance
We’re pushing for official email as the default communication method and restriction of personal number access to genuine emergencies only.
These are just some of the formal matters we’ve been addressing. Your Executive Committee continues to work tirelessly on numerous individual member cases, roster concerns, and policy matters.
If you’re experiencing similar issues or have other workplace concerns, please reach out to your local delegate or contact the AEAWA directly.
Together we are stronger, and your active participation strengthens our collective voice.
AEAWA Executive Committee