Premier Denis Napthine on Wednesday afternoon detailed an upgraded offer to the paramedics, which doubled the sign-on bonus to a new pay deal from $1500 to $3000.
But the new offer has failed to appease the Ambulance Employees Association, who said it only received the pay offer only after a press conference on the proposal had begun.
“So we haven’t had time to go through it and digest it, but on face value… we will not be accepting any reduction in working conditions for Victorian paramedics,’’ AEA assistant secretary Danny Hill said.
The dispute has dragged on for nearly two years, with paramedics undertaking an anti-Napthine campaign including slogans written on ambulances.
Much of the impasse has involved the government’s proposed changes to work conditions including forcing staff to do shift relief work in regions.
An independent umpire will assess the union’s work value claims but the union is resisting a push from the government to include rural relief shifts and union facilitation in the arbitration.
A conciliation process between the government and the union finished last Friday.
The increased sign-on bonus forms part of a package that includes a 6 per cent pay rise for paramedics in 2014, followed by an extra 3 per cent in 2015 and a further 3 per cent in 2016.
Premier Napthine and Health Minister David Davis urged paramedics to look at the offer and accept it.
“We believe this is a fair and reasonable pay rise and pay offer for our hard-working paramedics,’’ Dr Napthine said.
“The doubling of the sign-on bonus is also a sign of good faith to recognise the work of our paramedics and say to them we want this matter resolved.’’
Mr Davis said the offer was announced to media first was because it was matter for the “broad community.”
Mr Hill said the new proposal was not an offer but an ultimatum.
“The Premier has said accept our deal by the 22nd of August or you can stick it,’’ Mr Hill said.
“We have said time and time again that paramedics will not accept a reduction in their working conditions.’’
He said the government was trying to force new, “more fatiguing” rosters on rural paramedics.
Mr Hill denied the AEA was deliberately dragging the dispute on during an election year.