New Health Minister Jill Hennessey and Premier Daniel Andrews at Frankston Hospital. Photo: Penny Stephens
The board of Ambulance Victoria has resigned, paving the way for new leadership of the beleaguered organisation.
The new Labor government has also reached “full agreement” with the paramedics union about issues aside from pay, which will be determined by the Fair Work Commission, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Friday.
Honouring his promise to refer the paramedics pay claim to the independent umpire, Mr Andrews said he had already instructed the interim chief executive of AV, Andrew Way, to meet the union and arrange a joint application to the commission.
“I’ll be working with paramedics, not against them,” he said at Frankson Hospital with new Health Minister Jill Hennessy.
Earlier this week, secretary of the paramedics’ union Steve McGhie said the union and new government agreed on about 95 per cent of matters aside from pay in the enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations.
Mr Andrews thanked all nine members of the AV board, including chairwoman Linda Sorrell, who offered their resignations in a “dignified” manner.
Mr Andrews said dismissing the board was designed to bring about “powerful cultural change to make sure we start respecting our ambos again and that we bring about the improvements in response-time performance”.
more to come