AVEA2024 Q&A
When will the new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) be active?
The unions and AV are drafting the clauses that will make the EBA. Once drafting is complete (hard finish of 21 October 2024), there will be a viewing or access period during which everyone can read the document.
Those proposed to be covered by the new AVEA2024 (Operational Staff Only) will then vote on whether to accept it. Unfortunately, administrative staff cannot vote on the agreement because they are translating members out of its coverage. The union believes the proposed AVEA2024 is good and will be accepted by the workforce.
The agreement then goes to the Fair Work Commission to be certified. Once certified, it takes seven more days to become operational.
How do I vote on the agreement?
The vote will be managed by an external agency and likely conducted via email and text message. Both the union and AV will keep you updated on when the vote is scheduled.
Who can I speak to about the new agreement?
You can reach out to Darren Law at 0428 277 715 or Lauren Stanley at 0425 755 903 for further information.
Is there backpay?
The government’s wages policy clearly states that there will be no back pay. However, the agreement’s commencement date is 21 October 2024. This is the date that the new pay rates and conditions will start. Because drafting, the access period, the ballot, and the certification process will not be completed before 21 October, there will be back pay until this date.
Pay and Increases
When will I receive my pay increase?
This depends on how quickly the drafting process is completed and whether the agreement is voted up. Union members are hopeful this will happen before the end of the year.
I saw an article that said paramedics will receive a 17-30% pay increase. Explain this to me?
Because of the compounding effect of the annual increases, operational staff will receive a minimum 17% pay rise over the four years of the agreement. In the first 12 months of the agreement, most operational staff will only receive an annual increase of approximately 4%$ (3%+0.5%+0.5%).
Those members who are translating out of coverage under the AVEA (Operational Agreement) into coverage under the AVMA (Administrative Agreement) will have a 12-month interim period before being covered under that agreement. That coverage will commence from approximately 25 October 2025. Therefore, for that interim 12-month period (equal to the first year of the Operational Agreement), translating members will receive 6 – 9% wage increases, depending on your role.
Members covered by the new Administrative Agreement will enjoy the compounding benefits of a four-year agreement from October 25, 2025.
What have Fleet Maintenance Officers won?
Fleet Maintenance Officers and Supervisors can expect significant pay increases over the next four years, including an uplift of salary to match increased LSO
You can contact Delegate Lyle Sinclair on 0400 500 793 to discuss further.
What have Administrative staff secured?
No more Mercer system!
All-administration staff previously covered by clause 29 of the AVEA 2020 (Operational Agreement) will translate and move over to the coverage provided by the AVMA2021 (Administrative Agreement). Members will have an interim period of 12 months before they can be picked up under the coverage of the new AVMA2025. Until that time, an agreed MOU will provide industrial protections for them.
As a translating member, from 21 October 2024, you will receive the following benefits:
From 21/10/2024 – until the commencement of the new AVMA2025 (?Oct 2025)
- The average salary increase for that interim 12 months will range between 6% And 9%, depending on your role.
- Additionally, all translating members will receive a one-off lump sum payment of $7180 as a cost-of-living adjustment
- For the first time, translating staff can request a classification review and a job resize within the first 12 months after translating. This will ensure members are paid appropriately for their work and performance. Any increases resulting from these reviews will be back-dated to October 21 2024.
Why did administrative staff translate to the AVMA (Ambulance Victoria Management Agreement)?
Members claimed that AV should remove the Merced System so that administrators could have wage transparency and be valued for their work. In response to this claim, AV suggested that admin staff on the operational agreement translate to the management and admin agreement (AVMA), where the Mercer system has already been replaced.
The union saw value in this alternative proposal for several reasons.
- It achieved the claim of removing Mercer,
- Translating member’s conditions will be preserved,
- Each translating member will receive a significant pay rise,
- It placed administrative members in the same Enterprise Agreement as their administrative colleagues already covered under the AVMA,
- Being covered under the AVMA means that these members are fighting to have their voices heard above 5000+ operational staff
- The translation delivers some long-term salary increases in a short period,
- Member claims will have more chance of success during bargaining for the new AVMA, which commences in April 2025,
Why isn’t the one-off lump sum payment in instalments?
Under normal circumstances, the lump sum payment was proposed to be 4 x $1780 payments (payable once per year over the life of the AVEA2025). That payment is no longer being made to operational staff but has been preserved for translating staff.
Because translating staff are leaving the coverage of the AVEA2025, the four payments (one/year) have been consolidated into one payment. It will be paid as a lump sum to translating staff as a condition of agreeing to translate in the first full pay period after 21 October 2024.
What have Ambulance Community Officers Secured?
ACOs won a lump sum payment of $2000 in lieu of the $5.00 per hour Availability Allowance which will be available within the second term of the agreement.
What did Operational Members secure?
All operational classifications will receive an annual salary increase of 3%, a Pillar 1 Allowance increase of 0.5%, and a Retention and Productivity Allowance of 0.5% each year of the agreement (four years).
If you are an ALS or MICA Paramedic, years 1-9
- Increased unsociable shift payment of $185 or increased unsociable on-call to $13.25/hr
- Numerous other benefits applicable on a shift-to-shift basis. For more information, click here.
If you are an ALS or MICA or Paramedic or NEPT Officer, years 10-12 (annual indexation as above)
- Pay increments for years 10, 11, and 12 are being phased in at the beginning of Term 2. The relativities will ultimately be 3% between years 9 and 12. The introduction will be 1.5% in Term 2 (0.5% between each increment 9-10. 10-11, 11-12) and 1.5% in Term 3 (split as above).
If you are an NEPT Officer Years 1-9 (annual indexation as above)
- Pay increments for Years 2, 4, 5, and 7 will be introduced to supplement the existing increments for Years 1, 3, 6, and 9. The relativities between these new increments will match the existing relativities for ALS Paramedics.
If you are a MICA Paramedic
- As well as all the above (where applicable), you will receive a $12500 increase to your annual salary passed in over two terms (Term 1 = $6500 and Term 2 = $6000).
Click through to view the Admin Translation.
Or view the in principle agreement outline here.
