Page 3338 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 September 2015
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The Canberra Times goes on to say:
A leaked copy of the review—commissioned in 2013—showed the ambulance service was plagued by bullying, blame, distrust and erratic management.
It goes on to say that the intensive care, paramedic and Transport Workers Union delegate Rob Trevillion said union members were losing faith in the drawn-out process. I know there are discussions amongst the paramedics about how they will take this further. Frankly, they said they would give it six months. As a sign of good faith they said they would give the minister six months to fix this and if it is not fixed they will take further action. On a day when a motion of no confidence was passed in this minister in another one of her portfolios, one can only wonder what the TWU will do.
Mr Trevillion said:
Members are reporting to me there’s a wide-held belief that nothing has changed, in fact people feel more uncomfortable than before.
I understand there have been some workshops where people have been able to speak freely, but not a great number of people feel they can speak freely because of the climate of fear and bullying, distrust and erratic management. That is what people are telling me. Mr Trevillion goes on to say they:
… are frustrated and some are more fearful than before, they think things have actually gotten worse and they're not happy with the way things have changed.
Nothing in particular has changed. The real changes are about senior management. It is about extra positions; it is about more bureaucracy. It is not about addressing the day-to-day concerns of those on the road, how they get leave, how disciplinary processes are carried out, nepotism inside the service, how you get additional training and how you get fairness. They are not really addressed at all.
You can have your oversight committee. The minister says the oversight committee was established to monitor progress and provide her office with quarterly updates. There is not much to report on, and that is why people are more fearful than they were before.
Mr Trevillion said paramedics are afraid they would not be dealt with fairly. Why is it in this day and age when we have had a report that the government and the minister in particular tried to keep confidential—when you read it you find out why she wanted to keep it fairly confidential because it is not very positive about management in the ambulance service—that people are not feeling they will be dealt with fairly? Because nothing has changed. Mr Trevillion finishes by saying it had come to the point where people are fearful to participate in the conversation. I understand there have been instances where staff have tried to participate in various forums and have been yelled at.
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