Hi there, fellow ambo's.
How many times can we be shafted? Ripped off pay wise, ripped off workload wise, under-staffed, over-worked, treated like shit in general by management, not looked after by the State Government, not to mention a piss-weak union.
A few of us have put together this site to allow real ambos to have their say, unfiltered by bosses, governments or union reps. You can have your say, too, in the comments. Join in; we really want to hear from you (even if you disagree with what we say). You can also contact us at realambo.gmail.com.
Save the address http://realambo.blogspot.com/ in your bookmarks.
5,605 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 600 of 5605 Newer› Newest»On a more serious note ...
Well that's the night shifts over. I had an interesting chat with our union rep on station before i left. I have since formed an opinion on my views as the situation stands (for what it's worth). I also want to point out that i have no reason to doubt the comments made to me - this person is someone i have known for over 25 years and has always displayed a character of integrity.
1. Everyone is upset. And upset for valid reasons. But it, at the moment, is just talk. And as you know, talk is cheap. So unless the talk becomes something more proactive, nothing is going to happen.
2. It is highly unlikely, in fact almost certain, that nothing will happen until after the election irrespective of how much we rant and rave. All i wish to say on this matter is that it disturbs me greatly that the union that represents me is potentially being driven by political guidelines.
So where to from here for me.
1. I only really in truth use the union to protect me from potential issues relative to 'legal' matters ie: disciplinary interviews etc. Fortunately i have managed to behave myself and as such have not had to use their services.
I have a high school friend who did something a bit more with his life. He is now a QC. He has offerred in the past to 'look after me' if things turned to 'you know what'. I intend to hold him to this from now on. I intend, if nothing happens with the union, to resign from the HSU. I will put the money i pay to the union into my own fund to pay my mate should i need to use him. And i actually feel i would be more comfortable walking into a interview with him beside me rather than anyone else anyway.
2. I think i will make a silent protest and for the first time in twenty years vote against Labour in the election. It disturbs me, as i said above, that my working conditions are alledgedly being addressed on their merit of political advantage.
3. Fact - We can't change unions at the moment. I rang the Vic AEA yesterday as you know and it is not a scenario in the short term.
So i shall wait and see.
To those of you who want the Paramedic Association restarted -
I am happy to address this issue. I would be more than happy to restart the association and start putting a 'clinical' wedge between the Union and Management. But, somewhat like the Union complains about it's lack lustre membership input, i would expect support from the grass roots to achieve this.
Personally, after what i have heard and read, this for me (Paramedic Association) is at the moment the only viable solution i see on the horizon.
Anyway, best wishes to all of you. I hope this turns out better than the 'doom and gloom' forcast i have made. And i am happy to have my mind changed if you have anything better to put forward.
And also - some of you need to realise that after years of being treated as a 2nd class occupation, the only way to express ones anguish is to resort to satire.
Regards,
The Driver.
P.S - Crusty old friend - can you tell me the Stores Order number for Defib' Paddle Gel, i can't find it on our station .....
To The Driver... Sorry mate, i have obviously mis-read you. you are a man of integrity and more to the point ACTION. and i will try to lighten up a bit and accept a little more satire. We will have a voice that i know, and not one that only sings when you labour party like the tune.
P.s. I am a die hard labour supporter, but that will all change this year !
Thanks, and again i am sorry.
It does tend to put people offside at times, but after over 25 years of road service i find it better to play the satire card, rather than the abuse card. It also helps me prevent medication issues ... I am proud to be medication free after all this time. No offence taken officer.
Yeh !, well theres another issue the management seem to want to stick there heads in the sand and ignore Driver.... I have seen almost as many zoloft munching prozac swallowing co=workers in this job as i have patients ! Why do you think that is ! DEPRESSION.... and why ? do people tend to get depressed... trauma in there life where they feel they have no support ! This is an absolute tragedy.... and i would love to know the statistics on how many ambos are crunching them right now just to get through !
THE BASICS!!!!!!
We can have some fun! but don't forget what we are after! A professional wage. A finalised, Death and Dissability pension scheme and a reasonable workload.
Hang in there members! The fools will eventually get bored. This site is here for us!
Mary-Anne
Yes I agree, if it is all so bad, why don't these upset officers leave and let someone who genuinely wants to help get in the job and help patients. I thought ambulance officers were caring and non-judgemental about patients regardless of the patient's circumstances.
I think I am very wrong by the comments I read on here about banning renal dialysis patients and about honking the horn to make patients come out to the ambulance.
It must be a difficult job and it cannot be for everyone so those that are already straining under the pressure of only doing their job should seriously consider another career if they are taking it out directly or indirectly on their patients.
Do yourself and the community a service and resign if the above seems to describe you. I do not think that you would regret it.
Mary-anne Smith.
How were you treated by the Officers that had attended your children on those occassions.
I am thinking pretty proffesional,
As the Driver stated, this is a job where on occassions a sick sense of humour and satire and keep you from going over the edge.
Think about the things we see day in and day out Mary-anne, year after year with NO real support or councilling from the service.
Also be aware that this blog is accessable to the WHOLE WORLD.
Anyone can post here not just Ambo's.
There are people out there in computer land that never leave their houses (for whatever social or physical reasons).
These blogs become like a Soap Time Drama to them where they can escape momentarily from there lives and play one of the characters.
It would not be hard to impersonate an Ambulance Officer on this site.
I would hope Mary-Anne that you judge Ambo's on how they treat you NOT what you may read here.
Traumatised Trevor
You do have support, there are peer support officers who can access the employee assistance provider 24 hours a day. You are not alone at all. The peer support system is there to assist anyone employed by the Service and their immediate family and significant others.
The list of peer support officers is available on the intranet or your operations centre can get one to give you a call anytime.
I am a peer support officer and have assisted many officers and sometimes some of their family members to deal with not only work related issues so make sure you give us a go. We are here to help brother.
Peer Support,
I agree you guys do a great job,
This comment was not directed at our support officers.
But surely you would have to agree that you are not utilised enough.
When I say that I mean for example.
A traumatic job goes down and USUALLY unless you are contacted by the officers involved you are not made aware of their plight.
The job should have been flagged by Co-Ord. and passed on to Supervisor then to the support officers for follow up.
If this does happen it is rare.
Some officers are not even aware that they are carrying this load till they snap, earlier intervention may help eleviate this.
But as Keithy would say,
You guys are FUCKEN MINT
Most Ambos dont take it out in their patients. The ones that do deserve a kick up the arse.
Yes some get cranky but when its time to perform in a professional manner they do.
Whats wrong with freeing up Ambulances every morning that are tied up taking walking, talking, no assistance required at all renal patients. Yes its our job to transport the sick and injured however when you can hear serious 000 calls out there and cars are running too far away places to attend them all because the local crews are tied up transporting these patients it is upsetting. If they need a hand due to being frail then fair enough its our job but when a pension card (free travel) is handed to you by a person who states they dont drive in to the renal unit because its too hard to find a parking spot is frustrating. Even more when you see these people in the neighbourhood living otherwise normal lives every other day. Why is it we take many renals in but somehow they make there own way home? To quote one I know " I make my own way home cause I hate waiting for you chaps" ..sorry if we are tied up doing something more important Sir.
The service needs to follow other states and either sell off PTO service, allow private enterprise to compete and provide this service or invest heavily into the PTO service to free up emergency vehicles.
Abuse of the system is out there . We all know it but the customer is always right.
Coords usual reply post a traumatic job is
"Can you clear for one at....."
Too bad if your TAO has never seen this type of case and needs some form of informal debrief.
The PSO are out there use them guys 24/7
Forget the Bessie, this is Rik the frog, happily now x frog.
So many of you are calling for unity, yet, as usual there are a bunch who just like to whinge about everything.
How can anyone in their right mind call for frogs who work at rozelle or coord to hand in their allowance when you are harping about a pay rise for yourself in the same breath? You might ALSO consider that many of them are carrying injuries and it's the only place left to go.
They have these allowances BECAUSE BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS WE FOUGHT FOR IT, AGAIN AND AGAIN. If us old frogs did the awards for rescue and co-ord, they would have had a permanent allowance and none of this stand-by rubbish.
Does your brain shrink because you work in a different location??
How can anyone in "the most caring profession" publicly state on this blog that they just sound the horn, or haul veg.
Yeah we all gripe at 3 am, but face it; this service will ALWAYS have a VERY high proportion of patients from low socio-economic groups and system abusers. If you can't deal with this aspect of your job, quit, you are not an ambo and never will be.
You can all sit there at your keyboards and gripe about the union and management, but BEFORE you do, ask yourself HONESTLY what have YOU done to advance the cause.
Probably just griped, and still do but not TOO loudly ‘cause the boss might hear. IF you really have balls use your real name and stand on your hind legs for a change. Stop this anonymous crap.
Brett Campbell, love him or hate him, held the line, kept the hard earned conditions and didn’t give trade offs. He drove the bosses mad, health madder, the government madder still because he had GUTS AND THE BACKING of his fellow officers.
All the public and the politicians should see on this blog is a solid, professional, AND unified front without stupid comments about your patients.
So don't sit there whining, get off your collective asses and get to EVERY meeting, give interviews to the media (gasp), call your local member. DO IT!
Rik Shepherd
You like the word GRIPE don't you Rik.
It reminds me of old people.
Old people smell funny.
I like Carrots!!!!!!!!
Rik
Judging by the comment of Cletus you really are wasting your time trying to give them any objectivity whatsoever.
Where were they in 1978 when you were a course 4 paramedic?Probably still shitting yellow I bet.
Where were they when you and Jeff Gilchrist fought and attained the 4 X 4 roster system all those years ago? It is all irrelevant to them as they simply do not want to understand, they just want to viciously attack anyone who does not subscribe to their mob mentality or short attention spans.
Sensible friend of RIK, while you may know alot about the good old times of the service. i fear that you are not as well versed with the Cyber world. You do understand that this site can be accessed by anyone in the world don't you.
Do you believe every post on here is from an Ambo?
Or are you thinking "I didn't type this"
Well it has your name on it so you must of!
Get rid of the Dead Wood.
I like the smell of Naypalm in the Morning.
You are all to say this over and over again as you respond to each job -
the customer is always right.
the customer is always right.
the customer is always right.
the customer is always right.
the customer is always right.
the customer is always right.
Shame on you all for having an opinion.
Thanks Einstein, at least copy the name right next time. Oops did I think this or did I type it.
Thanks Einstein, at least copy the name right next time. Oops did I think this or did I type it.
Its a huge shit sandwich and were all have to take a bite!
mary-anne-smith,oh what a small world you live in.if think an ambo is horriable for expressing how they feel about thier patients maybe you should sit in a DRs staff room or a nurses staffroom for that matter,next time go to the Drs for a PAP Smear just have a thought when you get home,,,"I wonder is he talking about my you know what!!!"
we have commplaints about the public when we work so close to the public,maybe you have never had a job.we ambos are only human,just like our clients,and they too commplain about us.simple things like I called an Ambulance because i have run out of milk,or I called an ambulance because i need my Tampon changed.
But thats wright i forgot,,,the patient is always right!!!!!!!
from LOO.
I have a better idea.
Lets just all work for nothing and do it for the love of our patients.
Signed
Mother Teresa
Pay peanuts, get monkeys.
Says it all really.
Very sad but unfortunately appearing to being very true.
I used to say that i was a proud ambulance officer, and an even prouder paramedic but at many times was not proud of the ambulance service because of its inability to manage or lead. Now i am finding it hard to believe that some of the author's on this site are actually fellow officers.
If you choose not to self-reflect, you can still resign or if you have no other option i am sure management will welcome you with open arms, they need more drones.
I am a bit annoyed about all these people saying stuff about Terry Ryan. He is not in Mudgee or on the central coast. He is infact currently on staff at Tweed with Leon. He is currently on LWOP teaching surfing and taking Motor cycle tours in Hawaii but will be back at the end of next week. Get your facts straight bloggers
Yeah that's right, We recently had a post card from Terry Ryan,and he is indeed living the high life in Hawaii.
Yeah that's right, We recently had a post card from Terry Ryan,and he is indeed living the high life in Hawaii.
Yes Loo
Tell yourself that it is ok to carry on like that because others do it. Mob mentality and excuse making are the answers that the public want.
They do not want integrity, professionialism or patient confidentiality do they?
Hey Prada boi, you sound cute! What sort of dogs do you show??
I bet you have Big Guns
oh mother teresa you have it so correct.iam sure thats what the governmet thinks too.In todays telegraph some polli thinks its just enough to have a job and we should be just so greatfull!!!!!!
iam so greatfull that he reminded me of that,how silly to think we are appriciated out there in the real world.
oh thats wright iam not a teacher !!!!!!!!i forgot .
LOO
Dear Loo's conscience -
I will make a deal with you.
If you show integrity, professionialism then so will we.
Signed
The management
the union is right
management is also right
the patient is always right
all of us have attitude issues
i say we go back to the days of washing the superintendents cars
I doubt very much that our CEO will allow you wash his new BMW. Nor, do i think you have much hope in washing the brand new Prado (fully optioned) of Mr. Willis.
whats the problem with that? a just reward for the hard work they put in
Having been an ambo for 20 yrs theres not a lot I havent heard. But the gutter mouths on this blog are simply ruining an opportunity for people to have a genuine say. Times have changed, no doubt that and no we dont wash superintendents cars at 2 oclock in the morning anymore, yes the blue card has made us taxi drivers in many cases, but come on. You chose the job. There wouldnt be an ambo who hasnt had a whinge or bad thought about certain jobs, we are human and do get frustrated. But to denigrate every bloody ambo by the disgusting comments made are making me angry. Keep the issues real guys and girls. This is about creating something positive, I would hope. Show some self respect and get over it. Dont use this site to be crude, its a public forum and we cant risk been seen as pathetic. Some of you. Keep yr foul comments for those who may be interested. I'm not.
hey real ambo,
how about you only accept comments and publish them from people who leave their REAL name.
Bob Wright told me (and I believe it still) that the people who come after you should be smarter and better trained than you are, otherwise the system is failing to progress.
Well if they really are ambos posting this shit, the system really is failing or the medication they are on is not working!
The problem is I am now (occasionally) the patient and that scares the shit out of me. Thank God the frogs and ambos in the Illawarra still know what they are doing, AND do it with a smile, despite all the delays the health "service" throws at them in the corridors of A&E.
I must say tho if I was still a SubBranch president I would have the media there to watch me put my patient on the floor of A&E if there was a delay so I could clear for my next patient.
How you guys put up with this shit amazes me. And WHY you do put up with it?
Seems to me when you your trundle your patients in the door, they become the hospital's problem.
If they can't cope, well you guys don't work for the hospital do you? So why are you standing there hour after hour?
The service tried to sack me 11 times for comments I made to the media, they failed 'cause I had my membership pass a motion that I could talk to the media about anything involving the subBranch, why don't you current presidents try it?
Oh, and crusty frog et al, forget the paramedic association. It was going great guns till it fell apart over 2 frogs to a car, a thredbo hero said he'd go to his patients with a wheelbarrow if he had to. That was the beginning of the end and I was the last one in CDA to refuse to go out frog/gd until I was order to in writing and that was in 1995.
And I also doubt you could get Bob Wright back as the patron after what health did to him and the production line training the service uses today. He made us THINK
Rik Shepherd
Dear Rik,
I couldn't agree more with your astute comments.
When you get that difficult tube or really sick patient, you need another set of eyes and an experienced peer to help you.
Single paramedic responses are the reason that our frogs can't sedate to intubate. The watering down of our once esteemed paramedic system has been a collective disgrace.
The Rapid Sedation Intubation protocols call for a second and equally skilled officer to be there in case it all goes wrong. This applies especially with our chopper frogs.
I still keep in contact with Bob. Yes, he is the bloody best we ever had and they [Health] really screwed him.
Cheers mate,
P.A.P.
Rik
I havn't seen you for many a year but i am glad to see you are still as vocal. We all have alternate perspectives but i think the 'cocktail' of all us in the glass made for sensible progress. I must admit, i could not have been as brave as you were in those days. I apologize for the use of a handle for my identity, but i think you will understand. People in Sydney know my alias quite well anyway, so it's not that difficult.
I fully understand your Thredbo comment and agree 100%. I also have over the years spoken to Bob, Murray etc - you are correct in your perception. Good to 'hear' you again. In closing, i just thought i would share a thought with you (and crusty etal will also understand). Isn't it interesting how we were brought up in the system to look at peoples badge numbers ... and when you saw someone with a badge number less than yours ... how the respect factor became an immediately overpowering factor in how you behaved around them. Interesting, and perhaps something the new generation of Ambulance Officers might like to dwell on regarding issues of attitude management. Best wishes - thanks for your work in the past.
Hey PAP
You got it in one, you do have days when you can't get a line for love or money and you just know your frog mate can and does.
I don't care how great some feel, you can't risk a patient for the sake of a lousy tube or line
thanks bud
hey driver,
lemme know
rik001@tpg.com.au
it really is sad that the great beginnings got screwed up by some self served egos and more recently by a management system that hasn't got a clue how to save lives
hugs
Rik
Once upon a time we were trained as probies by people who had been around the traps for a while. It was the hard school of knocks and if you stepped out of line someone would pounce real quick. Not to humiliate you but to teach you, and we learned. Nowadays someone can leave level 2 and have a probationer the next day. There is no respect from jnr officers and that is not to put them down, but they are coming through a system that has allowed the attitude that glory counts and not the patient. The old CDA no longer is and sad to say it is staffed by greenies who havent been shown. Not their fault. But the legacy of the old timers is dying and in doing so has left a huge void. Buggered if I can see a resolution. People may see the old ways as defunct but we are the ambos that know more than the clinical side of amboing. Management may say we are the ones with the ATTUTUDE but it is that exact attitude that saves lives and provides a professional service. We were only told once and we did it. Nowadays the neweys will stand and argue. Why? Because they can and the seniority has gone. Bring back the stripes.
I will my friend. I will send you an email shortly.
Just for the public record -
If all of you reading this blog showed the same unwavering committment to preserving an ideal, like Mr Rik Shepherd and all the other senior single digit paramedics who took the bullets for the system you have now, we would be in a much better position than we are. I have been a Paramedic now for nearly 23 years, yet i still feel exremely grateful and honoured by the way these people 'set the system up' for us.
Perhaps you should all take the time to do some 'reflection', look back through the history of the paramedic system, and perhaps gain some valuable insight and perhaps inspiration.
The Driver
in fact ALL you old frogs.
if you are still slugging it out, let me know at
rik001@tpg.com.au and please remember how it was in the "old" days so you can help these poor younger bastards get the results we got.
teach them to get on their hind legs and fight AND stick together like glue on an issue. there should ONLY be ONE set of goals at a time.
if you younger guys are wondering, we put up the FIRST work uniform in 1978 as a joint (frog) effort. every bastard and his dog since has had a say "i don't look good in green", "i can't wear that" "ooh what a colour" Now almost 30 YEARS later you may be finally getting one, but I bet it ain't OH&S SAFE, comfortable, functional or practical.
anyway,
as I heard a US Marine Drill Instructor say at 29 Palms "Once a Marine, Always a Marine and you will be in the brotherhood all of your life"
take care
Rik Shepherd
Brothers and sisters
This will be my last post on this section of the blog as I feel it has run its course.
Boy oh boy the return of the stripes/chevrons, Nah i don't think so, it only reflected one chevron for every 3 years of service. If we will still had them I would probably look like a zebra. If you bring such a system in its needs to be in line with the Police as a actual rank with the appropriate delegated authority. That wouldn't be so bad but might fuel some people's ego. An appropriate apllication process might be helpful if adopted.
Howdy brother Rik: the Wright paramedics(courses 1-8) were the trailblazers but the visual respect of numbers diminished once courses got in the number 30s and above. Our new uniform will not allow the wearing of any tacit type badges in the future so its going nowhere.
ATtitudes of new ambos is very problematic and I don't know of any short or long term solution and is probably just a direct reflection of society today.
I know from own my personal experience as a Blue boy, I worked with a diverse range of senior officers in my first 12 months, didn't drive a ambulance for the 1st 2 months, cleaned cars and the station, was asked on my first day of working at astation if I was a member of the union. I was also encouraged to greet out other staff and address them as "BRother(Sister) when meeting them. Try it its not condescending This was a period of solidarity and general respect where the bosses had the balls to go into bat for the troops in times of need. This is not the case today perhaps we should revisit the history of our past and readopt some not all key feaures that may turn an apathetic and at times rudderless ship that appears to have no captain at the helm.
crusty,
don't you dare
we fought against an insurmountable object (bill Kelly) to get that frog badge approved (remember i DID design it)
What, are you going to look like everyone else?? You earned the fucking thing with blood sweat and tears (if you are who I think you are) don't you EVER take it off. I remember the efforts of Kelly and Chapple to appease the rank and file by denegrating the frogs when they should have shown us as something to aspire to.
the worst mistake i have ever seen of managers anywhere
You earned it, wear the damned thing with pride
Or I will track you down and weld it to your forehead
Rik
Rik
I had given up this site for dead as I had seen only negativity with no strategy of any kind emanating from it. Sound advice from several sources being ridiculed.
But then appears Rik Shepherd, great blogs comrade as always. I am not too sure if too many people have been around long enough to have worked with paramedics such as Rik, Val Berzins and Jeff Gilchrist and many other great and well respected officers.
I fortunately have and am proud to have been mentored by them not only professionally, but personally and industrially as they have given me much guidance and friendship over the years.
Perhaps they are right, the respect for each other in the job may not be as prevalent as it had been previously. Even as a paramedic myself I still hold in awe all who have attained this before me as many have helped me along the way and hope that all of us do this.
When I was an apprentice boilermaker, in my first year my tradesman said to me 'A good teacher always produces a better student'. A very simple ideology from yet another great man who i am fortunate enough to still have contact with after all these years.
Many of you who choose to read this are thinking 'so what's the point?' It is that some of these people, Rik Shepherd in particular know your frustration and certainly tried their best to make change and at times had great success when almost everything and everyone was against them.
Pleas consider using their experience, knowledge and support to assist you in what ever you decide you want to do.
That is all.
HI Rik
I never said I wouldn't wear it anymore but I thought I would alert the troops of the intention of management for both frogs and ALS officers to not allow it to be worn on the new uniform.
I will continue to wear it with pride on my shirt rather than my forehead,
Take Care
Signing off
Crusty
Rik
Again I am with you regarding the paramedic badge. I vaguely recall siting some notice in recent weeks which brett williams indicates to me is a SOPS regarding the wearing of any badges on uniform is now not allowed.
I wear three badges, paramedic, peer support and the small metal finish 'Your rights at work' badge
In fact I have some bosses verbalise to me personally also This SOP or whatever it is.
You know what my response to them was?...
'You just try and take them off me and see what happens'
I can be disciplined for being proud to be a paramedic? Bring it on I say.
To date no one has tried to remove any of these three badges, or the HSU your rights at work t shirt I wear on Thursdays. Funny how some can talk on this site about doing all sorts of things but if a manager writes or tells them to do something how quickly compliance occurs despite talk of revolt.
Maybe some of the old frogs could visit induction classes at Rozelle and give motivational talks to students. Include material on service history, culture, attitude, etc.
Very few students have respect for their training officers. I dont blame them some of the training officers are not that far ahead in their own career and have no idea when it comes to mentoring and earning respect. Works both ways.
Learning about a services history and culture can lead members to feel and become unified. I have had ambos ask me what CDA is as hospitals still use the term. Shame a history lesson isnt squeezed into level 1 or do they still hand out copies of "for love of life"?
yes some of the comments are abit grose.this site must be getting to poeple in from around the country who are not ambos or ambos wives.
also some are abit insulting to women to.I know my husband doesnt talk like that about his patients at home.Its a sad old world out there.
From a wives point of view i find the income good sure it maynot be what you are looking for,but it is an interesting job all the same.we manage on what we get.he works hard and i work hard to spend it(JOKE) but i do feel the HSU has let you all down but so has the government,but what government hasnt let someone down at some point.I know we as a society couldnt cope without the likes of you people and all the other svcs out there.i do love the old storeys from some of you old foke,so if nothing else keep on telling, its better that whats in the news these days!!
K.S. central c.
also i will ignore any abuse i get from this comment,iam better than that to read it.
Good job great web site.
Yes! we need our own union not managements union.
I still can't believe we have Senior Managers e.g. The State Superintendant and other senior uniformed staff in our union. I sometimes think we deserve what we get for being so dumb.
As for the state of our Corporate Culture. Education and Professional development have a lot to answer for.
Malone and McCarthy shame, shame, shame. "Paperwork Paramedics" with over 20 years experience of getting it wrong.
Destroying the pride we all once had in the "Senior Clinican".
Time in service means nothing in this job. Until the service values the experience and time in service of it's officers our rating in Corporate Culture Surveys will continue to be poor.
Simple stuff!!!!
P.S. As for Greg Rochford I think he has done a good over the years under difficult circumstances - this does not include the recent wage offer.
Managers are only as good as the people who work for them - in the above case 2 clowns with no idea. I expect at Rozelle the CEO has alot of that sort of thing to contend with.
Hi folks have been on days off enjoying the sth coast. Plenty of crappy stuff on the site i see. Lets not get personal! Remember the site is for us to help get some real stuff done!
Is anyone looking into a union that will take us on and how is that progressing?
Has the Central Coast sub-branh contacted the other sub-branches re their intentions if industrial action is to be put on?
And fact, the HSU is not representing us correctly and yes Michael Williamson is heavily involved with the Labour party and yes Craig Thomson Federal Member for Dobel is the National Secretary of the HSU, big conflict of interest ? Time that Michael Williamson came clean and explained why we have a bullshit media campaign! We pay how much $1,500,00 a year? Earn your money HSU!
YES STAY FOCUSED !
WE as a collective team need to maintain a white hot focus on the issues at hand and not be led astray in any way whatsoever ! If you think some of our managements actions are stupid, you would be right. I would even go as far as to say some are half arsed and self serving. But be warned... They themselves along with people like Michael Willaimson are not stupid !
You do not get to hold positions like these unless you are smart, cunning, persistent and above all motivated (and believe me with a salary like theres, you would be to). What both of these groups would dearly love is for the tone of this website to deteriorate to a level of unorganised senseless ramblings that leaves its followers with disgust and yet again another feeling of failure ! Do not be fooled... They are in here doing just that !
Keep to the facts......
(1) Our union is in bed with management !
(2) whilst michael williamson is the senior vice president for the NSW labour party, this boat will never get rocked.
(3) the HSU has 65,000 members and we are a pimple on that collective arse.
(4) Michael williamson is not going anywhere, we can not sack him, It is WE who must make the move.
(5) 92% of you are clear on what you want, VERY CLEAR.
OK. KEEP it clean, Keep it simple and show these selfish fools what they should have been told a long time ago ......
G E T O U T !, we have had enough.
Well said Real Ambo.
HSU is a living breathing contradiction. I am at one of the very few stations in the state that does not have double officer crewing. Thats right we are forced to work alone! What has HSU done, nothing. What about officer safety and patient outcomes?
I have done arrests over the years that I am sure I could have got back had I not been forced to work alone. Who takes responsibility for not giving these patients the best available pre-hospital care available. No one listens no one seems to care!!!
FTW01 .... Now thats the sort of stuff we need to know about ! there must be a million stories like that out there, where the HSU has sat on they're arse and done nothing...
keep them coming !
What is delaying the new uniform?
Surely it is and should be an
OH&S issue. What can we do on formal grounds to achieve this. Garbos, street cleaners, posties, firies RFS SES etc all have SAFE working uniforms.
What is the service waiting for? Someone to be killed
Work uniform?
We started the campaign in 1978, got a flammable baby bluse jump suit after 4 years that was designed by someone else. So by past and current standards the union will defer it for another 30 years.
PS It aint really their fault, because ambo's could never agree on colour, style, accessories, badges, one piece of two piece and management could never decide when you could actually wear it
good luck
Rik Shepherd
Dear FTW01,
First I would hang your local sub-Branch executive, they have probably been the same "team" supposedly "supporting your needs" for many years. And just make themselves and their cronies fat and happy.
I would also hang the Area Managers who have let this situation happen for decades.
YOU might have a talk with your local member (state and federal)and get a campaign going in the local rag.
Remember I got rid of single officer cars in the old CDA in 1979, so it isn't exactly a new concept for HSU.
And also to yet another anonmyous who is staggered to find out about your plight.
HSU never did get around to sharing information with other sub-Branched did they, despite lots of "executive" meetings
Rik Shepherd
is there going to be a state delegets meeting before the 24th election?or do we have to wait to after the election?can some one find out and post it thanks.
Hunter.
Rik
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my comment. As you said working alone should be a thing of the past. It's the patients who ultimately suffer.
I should not need to make 2 man stations a political issue. It should be a priority for HSU to ensure officers are not forced to work alone.
As we all know some sub-branch executives pander to management ultimately with the view of furthering their own careers.
Dear FTW01
Unfortunately you WILL have to make 2 to a car a political. HSU has had it set in cocncrete at countless Conferences and other venues for almost 30 YEARS.
They have consistnently refused to make it a state wide issue, just as they have refused to make sub=Branch meeting minutes available to all members (unless this has changed since 2001. which I doubt)
Gee you could always put it on the agenda for Annual Conference which is probably in St Tropez this year
Rik Shepherd
yes 92%. thats great! are you and idiot. There has been only 81 votes so far, that is hardly a large representation base of opinion. Alot of people commenting on ths site are sensationalists who use little of their time, to help sub-branches they have now. the same people that are using this 92% statistic, would tell you that the majority vote and the mass meeting was unfair. Hypocrites!
Stevo,
Allot of Ambos have not heard about this site yet. I only heard about it 2 days ago. Anyway 92% out of a sample vote of 81 is still 92%.
I returned to work today and guess what? There is no 'brett williams' listed on the intranet, so it must be a scab on the site. Whoever and whatever your real identity must be is as worthless as the one you used here. You have made some personal and derogatory statements about me on here but the best thing is that not only are you a worthless scab, but you are a gutless, worthless, self-emasculated scab.
By the way, the offer for you to call me does not stand anymore now that we all know the above facts because you have wasted more than enough of my time.
ftw01,
thats if the peolpe voting are ambo's.
ftw01,
just spoke to an idiot friend of mine who said that he voted to give back the 4%, 11 times on different peoples computers. Not very creditable stats are they?
Hi Rik,
With great respect and even more admiration to a dear and trusted friend please, pull your head in just a little. You didn't accomplish all that you claim to have.
We both know that there were many silent unknown "others" involved in numerous successful union/mngt fights. Please feel free to acknowledge that.
I felt that some of your relationship tactics were [at times] too adversarial and you stretch the believable facts a little too much, even for my liking.
Please remember that you were the second Staff Elected Director on the Board and you didn't seem to accomplish all that much during your lengthy tenure. Change is hard to bring and its very toughy in the ASNSW.
Just ask a good man like Steve Whinfield.
You [incorrectly] saw it as an industrial position rather than as one advocating greater transparency and communication.
That position [and the Board] have both since been removed by Health and no ambo [including our friends at the HSU]are complaining of that sneaky move now are they?
Why?
Because most ambos have a ckinical focus and simply can't see the relevance of having good management practices at Board level. Nor do they seem to encourage others to attain high level academic positions to be occupy leadership positions.
The Bachelor of Health Science Degree [remember it?] had its strong managerial focus removed because ambos simply didn't like it.
You never saw the introduction of a new and workable uniform. Neither did you stop single crewing in Sydney.
I was present at that momentus union meeting where even HAREA tried to stop us from banning such archaic practices.
The paramedic badge was lifted from an American paramedic magazine. Like other frogs trained by Bob, I voted on not only its implementation, but also its design to incoporate the wearers name, their course number and its location on the uniform.
The right pocket was selected so we could wear our Service [and armed services] ribbons on our left pocket.
Soem "double digit" paramedics bemown course numbers as they see it infering seniority higher clinical competency.
Hello!!!
In your duties in differing Ops Centres you routinly sent single officers and also instructed ops officers to do the same.
I am not infering it was your wish to do so nor that you were you happy with it. Its just to point out that, at times, our options are limited to affect change.
Ambos are treated the way they are simply because many ask for it.
It hurts, but its true.
They actively abolished seniority and thought of senior staffers as old and behind the times. True enough that some are, but that will always be the case. Live with it.
They have never persued a position description based ranking structure as other services have successfully done. Voluntary emergency services have them, then why not a professional one like the ASNSW?
30 years ago ambos gave away 2 weeks accruable annual sick leave for a $2.50 tie clip and a $5.00 belt. How smart was that one? That cost me in excess of around 45K.
They have also opposed first responders to assist isolated rural township based officers.
You provide "easy and soft" options to difficult and complex matters that involve leadership and managerial issues which you happily criticise, but were also a willing party to.
Sorry mate, but its the truth.
P.A.P.
Stevo,
Yes your friend does sound like an goose. Needs to get a real hobby.
Anyway, the fact is the last THREE Corporate Culture Surveys for the service were appauling. This site and comments are probably just a very small refletion of these results. If you are an ambo you can access these surveys on the intranet.
Some simple facts to remember:
1. Senior Management is in our union. Conflict of Interest? of course it is.
2. Michael Williamson is the senior vice president, and a stooge, for the NSW labour party.
3. Craig Thompson is a Federal Labour Candidate and also the National Secretary for HSU.
4. The Services own Corporate Culture Survey will speak for itself.
to all
to all you insecure frogs out there that are going on about not being able to wear your badges with the new uniform get over yourselves, most of you muts would struggle doing a level 1 course these days. anyone can wear a badge, even p1s can get one made if they want
Finally, Old School that isn't blowing wind up his own us.
P.A.P is Fucken mint!
Stevo ! you sound really angry.... no need to be mate.. not at us anyway.
The bloke you need to be angry with is Mr Williamson.
P.S. nobody believes you about one of your mates voting 11 times on different computers.. REALLY !
Bring back the Brothers (Goat F*&kers)I say!!!. Webster, Marx, Hart and Jenkins et al.
Those boys with the help of Williamson and the HSU used to sort things out. CEO's were lucky to last a footy season!!!
That reminds me wasn't the last mass union rally held at Masonic Headquaters in Sydney?
Hi Keithy,
Many thanks for your crisp - and very welcome thoughts.
Us "oldies" can take it and dish it out. Rik is like that which is just one of the many reasons that we respect him so much.
He is a good man and accomplished a great deal for his patients and fellow officers in his long and distinguished career.
Lets look at the concept of good followership for a moment.
As leadership is vital for an organisation, then so is the concept of followership.
They work go together hand in hand like ops staff and us roadies!
Provide healthy and robust positive and negative feedback and not necessarily through the union.
Consider giving a manager a compliment occasionally. They're not all that different to us you know.
There are times when you can't please everyone all of the time.
Management does not necessarily need to be lonely.
Our colleagues complain about their perception of ambulance culture as uncaring and biased to putting fellow ambos down.
The concept of ambo culture begins and ends with each and every single one of us.
Workplace culture is the personality of the organsiation.
Collectively, we all contribute in some way to that culture.
We all at times, whinge and complain, strike at "tall poppies" and show negative and distressing behavious.
Previous Coporate Culture Surveys have indicated this since they have been taken.
We can make a change...!
Its a big ask, I know.
Remember, the more you complain, the less some people tend to listen.
They simply switch off.
Whingeing and negative thoughts was what I generally heard in the three proud decades of my tenure.
Like you, I am sick of all of it. Like you, I can change it.
Together, we are empowered!
Let's change our negative ways for just for one week on the week beginning December 1 to 7 to be known as;
"No whingeing ambo week."
We made up flyers for WorkChoices, then let's make them up for this the
"No complain campaign."
We can do it...!
P.A.P.
I agree 92% of people who want to leave HSU sounds about right. Pity most of them are the silent majority.
Hi PAP.
If you know me, you would know that I NEVER took credit for stuff that others did. If someone helped me with a project, they were ALWAYS mentioned. OR if they were the ones that instigated it, they, not me, got the credit.
I must say tho that a lot of people took credit for what I had done. I still have ALL the original documents because two people got promotions based on my work, and I had to compile them for tha appeal process.
How many people do you know that claim responsibility for 2 to a car, the frog badge, the design of the last 2 F250 frog trucks, work uniform (a failure), first OH&S committee, the push for driver ed, the 4 x 4 roster.
Hell Gilchrist and I wrote the original submission for scat, but they convienently left out the parachuting when McDermott and Hollywood rediscovered it several years later.
As for the frog badge, I still have the original drawings and a photo of the original emblem I stuck on a frog truck at the Rocks, taken with Bruce Purdie's Polaroid camera.
Merideth took my design to a smith and it came back with wings (the original was the traditional shield)cause the guy already had the mold shape for another badge
I also have the copyright for the badge and two previous state superintendents had to get my permission to use it for publicity.
I don't bother anymore now that I have been retired but if they ever use it for crap purposes I will sue the bastards
You are right about 2 things however.
1. The ambulance Board for me was the most demeaning, disgusting and totally corrupt thing I have ever been involved in EVER.
On day one McGregor gave me the same written shit that he gave to Max Caddis. I criticized Max for doing a poor job, but now I know what he had to put up with. Any staff elected director was not given the opportunity to place ANY information in Sirens, was forbidden to issue memos to the troopies, not allowed to visit ANY sub-Banch on company business (OR on your own violition and using your own money for that matter). I don't know what Arneman did, probably because like Max and me he was stifled.
I took my grievence to the Dept of Health and guess who heard the complaint.....Mc Gregor.
As for sending 1 officer out on jobs, YES.
Why? I was offered a job as a dispatcher in western division when the back finally went for good and Donny Hart refused me a job in Co-ord at Pt Clare because "it was closing". Funny that Mr Smith from Dubbo Ops got a transfer to Pt Clare Co-ord the day after I arrived at Dubbo, ain't it?
I mean I HAD been Brisbane Water sub-Branch's president for about 10 years, so what did I expect.
I had to SIGN an agreement written by David Storer (I still have the original)that I would NOT complain about 1 to a car, single officer call outs, travel time and a raft of other shit.
What can I say I needed the job and sure as hell the sub-Banch sure hadn't complained about work conditions, so why should I?
I did manage to get a 4x5 for the co-ord staff tho and was rewarded by a failed re-cert (number 10 I think)at Gilgandra.
Funny tho Val Berzins (another course 4 Frog) got 98. We compaired papers after, they were almost identical, BUT I got 84.5 and failed.
I complained and wanted my paper reviewed, but guess what....the papers had been accidentally destroyed.
And gee the post at Rozelle result was only 96.
So, anyway, the moral of the story is, ya stick up for ya mates and the bosses shit on you. Nothing new really..
In closing, I can PROVE every single achievement I ever made
Hugs
Rik Shepherd
hey anonmyous,
We probably would fail level 1 that's because we think ya dumb mut, we dont recite protocols.
we also didn't stick things in patients just because some dumb protocol said we should.
the difference between you and us is WE could diagnose, AND if you remember the first law of medicine is "FIRST DO NO HARM"
Rik Shepherd
Yet again you are right Rik. Officers need to remember patients are actually human, not just an opportunity to '...get another cannula...' so they feel better about themselves. Most probably do not understand what this latin actually means let alone upholding it.
I think it sadly has become 'premum nocere' for these people. All of you who have been around or who actually care about being the advocate for your patient will understand this.
It,s me again,
I only got onto this site cause another old ambo told me about it.
When the comments about patients got out of hand.... well as usual I could not shut up.
The past is past, it wasn't or isn't about me and what I did/didn't do.
All I wanted to really say to the new guys is that you CAN achieve ANYWHING if you put your heart and soul into an ideal.
It doesn't really matter about the union or management, it never did.
YOU guys ARE the service. YOU can make it happen. But only if you individually AND collectively get your shit together.
Good luck
Rik Shepherd
To the 4 AO that are not paying into HSU because you walked with your feet. I hope you have asked not to be payed your 4 % increase.
those 4 are from hay and have no creditbility
i know those four and there is no way they would give back their interim increase. They have principals when it suits them.
to anonymous,
stevo is not angry, apathy amongst ambo's is something i have accepted along time ago. However i do get frustrated about people saying they want to leave the HSU,
when we all know that we would be lucky to have 100 officers state wide that put any effort into the union we have now.
FUCK YOU to the ASNSW for putting a block on the intranet to stop us blogging at work
The four that you infer have no credibility. I will confirm that is correct. They work on a station near me, they are bullies, and laugh at the fact that they get the benefits of the pay increases without paying. Scabs Scabs Scabs
to everyone out there complaining about the union,the service and the government,i have only one question.who did you vote for in the last state election?
There is an old saying,
People get the governments that they deserve.
by the way, put your name to your letters you wimps.
Frank
Has any one seen my husband???? I am usually trying to work out what time he will be home for dinner or breakfast, kids wife family you know the score, because he is busy doing callouts or overtime etc but I can't find him there. It was suggested that he might be on this blog, I haven't seen him for days, Can any one help? Cletus, Herbert, Stevo, Prada Boi and company, come on let him come home, his kids are missing him!
does anyone know when the next state delegets meeting is ? are we waiting for after the 24th ?
First of all those ambos out their that are worried whether or not they can wear their badges on the new uniform....Grow up. Weld it to your fuckin foreheads for all I care you egotistical drones.
Wake up. How about discussing issues such as the problem of having senior management in our union. What about discussing important issues like the fact that Williamson is the senior vice president for the NSW labour party and has no intention of going in hard over our wage claim.
Let others know what is going on! Talk about it!
Wake Up!
Ive seen your husband his name is mr ambulance an he is gettin crankier by the day
spider,
Have you resigned from the HSU yet?
Handed bak your INTERIM pay increase yet?
NO?
Put your money where your mouth obviously is!
Leed by example. Or are you like other spineless people here who dnt support the union they have now.
In regards to wearing badges i think they should piss them off all together, as long as us ambos no who is what level then thats all we need to no. ive been a ambo for 13yrs and a frog for 4 of those and ive never ordered one, i think its such a wank. i agree lets focus on what we all really deserve, appropriate pay for what we are trained to do and we need to do it before the election.
OOOOOOHHHH Stevo
I sense A little aggression. Thats not like you buddy. Or perhaps it is not you at all. The bad spelling and nasty HSU overtone suggest that you might like playing leggo. Am I right???
how will i survive without wearing my freshly polished paramedic badge?
Stevo,
Have I resigned from HSU yet? Yes as will a large number of other ambos in my area shortly.
Have I handed back the 4%. No that would be silly don't you think? You can buy things with money.
Stevo you sound like the type of person who goes through life not questioning anything. People shit on you and you just run away and hide.
Stevo for once in your life stand up for yourself and say "I am not going to take it anymore".
All of the evidence is in front of you.
Take Care
gee whillikers spider lets all have deep and meaningless discussions about williamson and the labor party.
he is and always will be a labor boy and he gets brownie points for the money he (YOU & ME) give to the cause
no he wont make waves during the election.
you can always complain to labour council about our union, but shucks THEY are all labor boys too.
could this be a conspiracy ???????? are molder and scully involved.
there, we have discussed it, happy now
Dear Spider,
you are making alot of assumptions. I will accepts facts from sources other than a blog where people can rant and rave with baseless facts.
Sorry spider i did forget to add, i stoped questioning things along time ago and starting getting involved in changing issues. I judge by your statment that you have/ or goin to resign from HSU that you havent even give this union any involvment. I doubt you will change in the future. Good luck with that though.
Spider.... can I call you Rock for short???
Take a break sweety, you are going to strain something!!!
Labour Voter,
That's the spirit. Well done. An entertaining read!!! Sarcasm is not the greatest form of wit nor the most skilled form of communication and I'm not a big fan of it usually. However, in your case Labour Voter you did good.
Stevo and Stevos Mate
You are dull and boring.
UNIFORM UPDATE!!!
There’s been a slight hiccup with the trial. It seems Stevo and Bootlicker really hit it off at the first Prada trial committee meeting. Unfortunately, Stevo forgot to tell Bootlicker he was allergic to Yak Fat and Stevo went into cardiac arrest and later died. Bootlicker did compressions on Stevo for over an hour but not on his chest and can I just say that all the love in the world could not bring him back.
We’ll now all be wearing Prada in honour of Stevo the great visionary he was. Lets not mourn him, but rather celebrate his life with blog-entries of great stories about the adventures of Stevo from all his friends!
I’ll miss ya mate….
For crying out loud! Mmmm, that felt good! Anyway, just thought I might say that I too hate the management of ASNSW. How could you not? I also believe that the best way to deal with them is via the media. Although the way the media have been reporting things of late, I'd rather have to say that they are friends of management, and therefore will not report the truth.I'd also have to say that I'm very dissapointed with a local council that wouldn't support the building of an ambulance station within the grounds of the local hospital when desparately needed, with some bullshit excuse that the local constituency was being supported. Seriously, did all the residents of Ryde, East Ryde, West Ryde, North Ryde, Epping, Eastwood, Melrose Park, Putney, and Meadowbank, all object? I don't think so.I think a very very minute constituency was being catered to there huh?
Usual congrats to the ASNSW though, for sitting on their arse and doing nothing much about it in all that time.They sold the station to make their budget look good, and they did nothing. No, wait, they did do something...they told the ambos to go out and find their own station. The best they could come up with in all that time was a bus shed just around the corner from Lane Cove Station, which fell through cause someone beat us to it, and they promised and promised us a new station. Which they're still promising. Meanwhile, having overtaken and zoomed past the 12th hour, we're still at the station the ASNSW sold and has been renting back ever since. But we can't park our cars on station anymore, or access the rear of the station with ambulances either. Cause the developers want to develop. Mind you they haven't done a thing since we blocked off the back of the station for their access. And still we have nowhere to go!!! Although now we're being promised a couple of demountables at the local mental hospital. Until our new station is built that is.
Can we please wake up to ourselves about the union. It is a tool for us to use. At all times, and to the best of our ability. Turn up to every SB meeting like you turn up to rallies for major issues and maybe something would get done.Seems to me there is only a handful of members turn up to each meeting, but everybody wants to bitch about things not getting done. How stupid do you have to be to realise that issues dealt with by the union are continuous and ongoing, and as such, need everybody's support, all the time. That means every meeting. If everybody turned up to all meetings to push and discuss and push further, only then would we know how to use the tool we've got. Heard the saying about a tradesman and his tools?
Knowing what a union is and what it can do though, having said all that, I believe we really are behind the 8 ball being represented by a union who really can only ever see us as a relatively low priority in its own greater scheme of things. And I think most people know that a union with political affiliaions like ours, will be far less forthcoming in appropriate action and far harder to use as the tool we need.So Please, don't go and vote labor just because of the bullshit the union is feeding you (or the labor party for that matter). As a result, I believe our execs are working hard. Although I wouldn't call a $5000 handout doing it for nothing. Especially if it also means you get to choose your own line on a roster, take holidays when you want and not through the same process as everyone else, and the icing on the cake......you can bully harrass and stand over whomsoever you choose. And get away with it....Doing it for nothing?????????????
'Ere, 'ere. While I'm on a roll. Anybody know anything about ASNSW being a registered training organisation and not meeting its responsibilities as such?
Must say too that we are empoyed in the public service and employing someone from overseas gets the ASNSW more money than employing someone from this country, so it should be obvious why merit takes a kick in the teeth. Have run out of steam so will finish on this note. This is a site to vent, present, and perhaps discuss any issues you want about the ASNSW, the job.It's not a warcry board nor a personal attack site. So say what you like. But if you think you're a good ambo and the best you can come up with is attacking fellow officers.....THINK AGAIN...
prada boi, you must be drunk rom all your dog shows,
We're starting to get feedback from the politicians now. I've started a new topic at What politicians are saying so we can see what they say, all in one spot.
This is a great site,but we need to stop the personal stuff unless it is at management.Can this site be set up so we could leave constructive coments from stns as well as individuals, that way their could be no individual repraisals.People reading the bloggs would know how many people from each stn were on bored and we would have some real Nos.Or someone at each stn be the voice say Bomaderry 20/35 which would represent 20 out of 35 staff on board.We could have questions then and no how many people are really on board. Or ask a question and each stn could answer again 5/10 at this stn agree.At least we would know who in the state was on board, and who may not even know about this site,but I do not think there are many.
stevo stevo stevo
despite stevo's passion he is without doubt all man.
he has integrety and a tigt arse. I am sticking to my seat just thinking about him.
spider, you can take your left wing democrat views and go to nepal.
Ah Stevo
I remember you like it was yesterday. Those nightshifts together after those big jobs. Spooning me to sleep. Singing me Pop Goes The Weisel to cheer me up. Just the thought makes me moist.
I miss you already big guy xoxo
Hi. I have read all the comments on here and to those who are unhappy in the job then get the fuck out of it and stop your whinging.
Im sure there are lots of unemployed people out there who would work for the Service for a lot less.
MS.
(Management Supporter)
MS (Management Supporter)
I agree lets send all of the Operations centres over to India those guys work for peanuts. I can just imagine being called on station from a job....On the air for an MVA it's wery wery bad, nice day.
Wake up to yourself a qualified P1 doesn't earn much more than a shop assistant on casual rates. It's an embarrassment. Nursing staff laugh when we tell them what we earn.
MS your a dick, probably a very small one.
Yes there are people they want to employ and they are from overseas.
Have a look you numbnut at how many IC rosters are depleted of level 5 officers in the south east(Sydney)then have a look at when the next level 5 course is scheduled for.
Go on chase up the stats for the last fortnight to see how many level 5 officers are missing from the SAC, Randwick, Rockdale, Hurstville and Caringbah rosters on each shift.
Answer is recruit from overseas then save $$$ training current competent serving employees . Shame and the government wants us to buy Australian.
I personally know several experienced P1 officers who are leaving the service for this fact alone ... No career progression Unlike yourself who is probably off road sitting behind a desk doing a special project and sucking up to the bosses.
Current primary care officers have to look into this. Most dont even know whats happening. Write a letter to Sirens and have a half page reply that doesnt answer your question published. Someone in Rozelle will get a bonus and a pat on the back for doing a great job. Pity the hard working Primary Care Officer who loves the job, is good at it and will end up leaving to work interstate or overseas because they cannot progress in 'Ambulance'- NSW Ambulance Service
The service needs to come clean on the issue of the overseas Paramedic recruitment. They need to publish the facts. How many, where from, what bonus they are getting- OS recruits that is and when Level 5 will be scheduled.
Until then management supporter enjoy your special project and following a boss around like Paris Hiltons lap dog. I bet you progressed up the ladder by sucking up rather than clinical merit. I know your type couple of years on the road, ASO for a while, then SO followed by secondments to do special stuff leaving a trail of backstabbed colleagues in your wake.
Management supporter I hope none of your family get sick and require an intensive care officer but instead get a TAO and a fresh level 2 that are not authorised to give the patient the treatment they need.
On a different track...
If we could vote for managers who would you vote for?
Maybe some of the managers who drop in here may get a shock - they are not as popular as they think they are.
I havent read the blogg for a few days,now i know why.You all just dribble shit.Why dont you all put your efforts into getting onto your delegets about sorting the pay increase out.
Instead you all go on about bootliker,stevo and who ever else you all want to bullshit about.No wonder you all will never get anywhere with your claim.
you all have to much time on your hands,well you must have if you can just type in crap.Nothing on this blogg is of any value to the members,maybe the increase in wage and the D&D does not interest you.
What is happening at other sub branchs,are you all putting preasure on your delegets to get things rolling before the election,or are you just happy the be taken on a ride to know where?
Maybe the latter!!!
get your act together know wonder the nurses laugh at you all.
I dont feel sorry for you anymore,you are just all stupid.
From Dennis R.
Dear MS
you may not have noticed but they actually have to put out ads to get staff now, they even have "join the most trusted profession" on their paperwork and emails, once it was about 2 - 3000 applicants for 50 jobs. does this tell you anything.
same with nursing
why?
the tail is wagging the dog, that's why
the bean counters and their little college of health service executives have screwed the health system in this country
they are the only growth industry in health
their ONLY job is to get you, fully trained, to your patients in the shortest possible time with the best possible equipment.
that's ALL
funny tho they actually think they RUN the joint
take a wander thru the internal phone directory if you still don't get it, you could sack 95 % of 'em and the patients would not even notice.
and just think of all that lovely money left over that could go into YOUR pay packet
Dennis R.
You sound like a real union man maybe your Williamsons "bum boy".
The pressure to get our claim sorted before the election is up to Williamson he's our leader remember.
As I've said before,(and I know it's starting to get boring) he won't because he is a stooge for the Labour Party, actually he's the Deputy President of the NSW Labour Party.
Williamson and the Senior Uniformed Staff (who are in our union by the way) used to control this service. Years ago they would gang up and sack the executive and the CEO at the drop of a hat.
Greg Rochford is good man and I think he has done alot for our service. I think he just has a lot of weirdos working for him. He knows about the "Brothers" and the control they and the union once had on our service. He sorted them out years ago.
Our pay rise is not up to Rochford it's up to Health. Let's give the guy some credit for what he has done for us.
Go Greg.....you good thing!!!!
Dennis R, with the exception of the minority you have got it right. Most of the bloggers on here are amongst the most obtuse and unreasonable human beings I have encountered in life so far.
No desire to understand that there is a major case timetabled before the NSW IRC, and that they could riot, burn effigies or even hold pagan rituals and this shall not change regardless of whether there is a federal not state but federal election on 24 November.
Instant gratification is not going to occur as much as it would make all of our lives much easier.
I would hate to imagine how most of you would deal with an uncooperative, unreasonable patient or bystanders. If you have not worked it out yet, unreasonable people do not respond positively to equally unreasonable actions.
As for Mr Wiliamson holding an executive position with the NSW branch of the Australian Labor party, was this ever a secret? No, very public knowledge for everyone to know, perhaps you critics should research what other functions that he performs and then you may understand exactly how much you as a HSU member benefit by Mr Williamson's efforts all for you.
As for the scabs amongst us who are getting all the same things as the rest of us, you will always be a scab and there is no worse label for any human or sub-human.
So do what you need to do, if you feel you are incapable of changing things to aleviate your dissatisfaction, resign from HSU and become a scab, preferably resign as an ambulance officer as well because like your efforts as a HSU member you are ineffective and I do not like working anywhere near scabs.
Spider, you poor misinformed stooge. rOACHford is exactly why we are in this mess. He doesn't come from a uniform background, he's a health budget cutter. All he's worried about is his performance contract.
He's the one replacing uniforms with civies, slashing fleet and equipment, cheapening the training standard by stealth. As long as a car, any car, gets on scene within his KPI he's happy.
Anonymous,
Rochford would know very little about how to educate ambos he would reply on his managers in education. Look how they have stuffed that up, how many levels of training do we have now, about 14 I think. What's the biggest complaint from ambos beside pay. Opportunities to progess clinically. The less time you have in service the more chance you have to progress clinically. That is just one example.
Education has alot to answer for for destoying morale in our service.
Spider,
You are gutless. Put your name to your comments. If you had witnessed dennis ravlich working for us then you would not make those comments. He is an ex ambo and has put in big time to improve our wages and conditions. Dennis ravlich, bob morgan and HSU have my full support. Now i know you have no idea.
fuckwits like you spider is why there is low morale
aw gee,
roachford was going to get sacked for incompetience until he pulled in all his chits from the labor party, so reba gave him another gurnsey (for the moment). on the other hand you have willis getting lovey dubby with pollard to keep HIS job.
the rats aren't deserting the sinking ship, they are vigourously humping to make more rats to control the poor crew and make them work harder at the pumps
Mark Stephenson
Why do you want to know my name? Do you want to be my boyfriend? Are you cute as well as dumb? I think I like you already.
mark stephenson,
my real name is >>>>>>>> M.Williamson.xxxxxxx
(spider)
Anonymous
Re: fuckwits like you spider is why there is low morale
Well that's just lovely. Everyone was having a wonderful exchange of ideas and thoughts and you had to go and spoil it with your vulgar language.
I know. Let's have a discussion about senior management being in our union with Williamson as their State Secretary too.
Spider,
I do not engage in debate with people who character assassinate others whilst not putting their name to their comments. Having said that spineless people are not the type, i tend to mix with. Sorry
to spider,
is your first name "ROCK"? I wouldnt like to know what goes on behind your closed doors.
If you guys haven't noticed, you can leave CONSTRUCTIVE comments, backed up with FACTS (date, time place) on the the "what the politicians are saying" blog on this site.
Why gripe to each other, YOU already know what is going on.
If you have a valid comment, that you can back up, then tell Ms Skinner.
She CAN do something about it, you can't during the run up to the election, at least not if you are riding a labor horse called the HSU
Mark,
Don't be like that. We ALL use an alias's in this forum for fear of repercussions from management. Everyone knows that.
Cheer up Big Guy
WEll i am not supprised at some of the comments left on this site about scabs ! You have a bloody nerve though to call intelligent people that. We all used to come to your pathetic meetings, yet still nothing ever got done... Wake up to yourselves .. if people are no longer coming shoudn't you be asking why ??? The union is in bed with managemnet and thier swan song whenever they get questioned on it is that "Oh ! well nobody ever turns up to meetings thats why nothing gets done. Please its insulting to my intelligence. It is the perfect excuse to continue perpetuating the cycle protecting the chosen few. The Union put out a servey about a year ago on member satisfaction... why have they not published the results of this ??? Michael Williamson has been asked to do so many many times !
But he wont... WHY ? why do you think!
And as for you management Sucks who seem to think that we should all be gratefull for even having a job, GET A LIFE.. as an intellignet blogger stated earlier, most of you are the type that have progressed up the ladder by sucking up rather than clinical merit. a couple of years on the road, liason officer for a while, then ASO for a year, then SO followed by secondments to do special stuff leaving a trail of backstabbed colleagues in your wake.
And what about the rampent bullying that goes on in this job. The Union does absolutely nothing at all about that. HOw many people reading this site have been unfairly disadvantaged and have then gone to the union for support in their case only to hear the same old storey! They start to get involved then the management give them the runaround and ignore them !
For all you other intelligent, street smart people with a back bone... keep up the good work... we will win and there will be another Union ! that is a real and unwavering voice for the majority of REAL AMBOS.
Anonymous,
Well Said
Dear (yet ANOTHER) anoymous,
That is EXACTLY the reason why this union (and ANY other you care to join) doesn't do anything.
If you are too lazy to get off your arse and make EVERYONE go to meetings..... well.
Back in the old days it was the same. And I was frequently asked how many turned up for the meeting or voted on a particular issue. Once upon a time the sub-Branches had to write the number who actually attended in the minutes(then it went to "as per attendance book" for VERY obvious reasons)
It was such fun to stand up to management to argue a case when you barely got a quorum to vote on the bloody thing in the first place, despite every bastard and his dog screaming "do something".
Well sunshine, DO something.
I bet you have NEVER really tried out this union, maybe you went to a meeting or two, maybe many, not much happening, got bored, fed up, disappointed, stopped going.
Unfortunately it is a viscious circle (AND THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE EVEN NOW).
You dont go to many meetings, the union gets slack, you dont go to any meetings, the sub-Branch becomes a joke, the union doesnt do anything and gosh you are in the situation you are in now.
If YOU (and everyone else)went to every meeting AND (this is the gutsy part kids)actually did what you said you were going to do (ie walk out, down tools, quit using skills you havent been paid for) then you would get what you want.
It IS that easy, and that hard becasue you lot wont go to meetings, chicken out when you have to take action and then just sit there and blame EVERYONE else.
I have said it before, the union is YOU.
YOU go to meetings
YOU make sure everyone else goes
YOU tow the party line
YOU do what the sub-branch says
YOU stick up for your mates
If you don't, well go look in the mirror that's what's happening NOW and will only get worse.
The company has always worked on the divide and conquer rule. They go lean on someone, tell them to do what they are told, they shit themselves, do what they are told...strike broken. That simple.
Another thing what kind of executive do you have? Keen? Assertive? Only doing it becasue no-one else will? Only doing it to paddle their own canoe?
All positions filled? Delegate on each station? Someone ringing the other sub-Banches to get their minutes?
Have YOU ever stood for a position?
Or do you have more important things to do?
You come on here and whinge ONLY when YOU have done all this and STILL haven't gotten anywhere.
But you won't need to because if you do all this you will get what you wanted in the first place
Rik Shepherd
Rik ! HSU is a political golf cart for williamson... No matter how many meetings we go to, he will never rock the boat ! Anonymous is right... the HSU is a dead fish, we need to look elsewhere.
Hey Anonymous,
there is an election coming up (so they tell me, us old retirees don't get out much)
How many people do the road staff of ASNSW talk to every day?
5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000?
TELL them what the labor party is doing to you, tell them to vote liberal, tree huggers, the satanic brotherhood, ANYTHING but labor
DO you think ANOTHER union ISN'T affiliated with Kevin 07?
How these people EVER got elected in NSW is beyond me, God help the country if they get in federally
ANd remember folks, NSW labor gave you that wonderful Workers Comp legislation where you get stuff all for the rest of your life if you go out TPI and only 100K if you get killed. THEN they "offer" you this bullshit D&D deal
Rik Shepherd
There are still stations in this state where officers are forced to work alone. How can this be when ambos have complained to their sub-branch executives?? How can this be when ambos have been to a multitude of meetings for years and nothing has been done.
Why because those same sub-branch executives at neighbouring stations get a call-out to back these single officers up.
Do these sub-branch executives really care about patient care...well obviously not. Do these same sub-branch executives care about the safety and welfare of there fellow officers....well obviously not.
What do they care about...the call-out money they get to back these single officers up.
And some people here want me to support our union.....fuck off.
Spider,
I have been reading this blog, i must comment. Mark is write it is spineless to comment on other people withot naming yourself. Why are you afraid of management or anyone else finding out your name?
You are quick to judge and make comments on other and then reply with oh cheers up .
So does passion about your cause mean your unhappy.
I suggest that you get a bit of passion and stand up for what you say, with conviction.
Other wise you do lack creitbility.
Cheer up big guy
Anonymous,
where is your station?
sorry about my poor spelling and grammer
Re the single officer responses,
In one area that we all know, the executive of the sibranch got what they wanted like rosters, a paramedic badge if you worked at dubbo lots of other good stuff
no they didnt back up these singles, because they were many many miles from there. they stay in power only becasue it is like 200 km to go to a meeting, and they never took the meetings on the road
Mat Sing,
That's very noble of you standing up for poor old Mark.
Any hoo I'm more than happy to meet up with both of you and tell you my name.
Are you interested? What station do you work at? I am more than happy to make a personal visit. Maybe we could do lunch.
Take Care
there are only about ten different people commenting on this blog now.
The rumors that i heard are true it is a joke
Concerned,
Merriwa, Murrurundi and Stroud. I don't work at any of these 2 person stations but know of their plight. Does anyone else know of any 2 person stations in the state where officers are forced to work alone?
Look me up on the intranet spider and send me an email.
cheers
i am not into wierd stuff
Im in the riverina and the sub-branch executive have worked hard to end single officer responses. It does still happen from time to tie however it is not from a lack of effort on thier behalf.
Hey everybody. We all konow this organisation treats us like shit and pays us a pathetic wage. We are all united in this belief regardless of whether we are HSU supporters or not.
I therefore urge every ambo to do something about it.
PLEASE STOP RECORDING PENSION NUMBERS ON CASE SHEETS.
It costs the service approximately $20 to generate and send out every account.
WHY SHOULD WE GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO SAVE MONEY FOR AN ORGANISATION THAT BELIEVES WE'RE NOT WORTH MORE MONEY????????
This will also provide the parasites in our community with a realisation of the true cost of the service they abuse every day.
The Jackal.
Poor lost souls...
You guys just don't seem to listen now do you?
Rik has spent most of his working ambo life sticking up for you guys.
Collectively, you can see his presence everywhere from the types of cars you operate to the uniform you wear right through to your conditions and don't forget those heavy pay cheques.
The time that he spent away from his wife and kids, worked without pay or compensation to ensure that you have the best possible conditions defies calculation.
Just think of the fellow ambos arse's that he has saved from getting the sack.
This doesn't take into account the very real threats and the personal and professional dangers that he experienced in his distinguished three decade career.
Indeed, they are union folklore.
He should be hired in a consultancy role. Yes, he is better than any organiser that I have ever known.
If you need to set up your own union, change your present one or get some pretty good advice from a thirty year veteran. Then get Rick on side.
You cannot buy his significant expertise. But you can ask.
Please listen to this wonderful ambo who is actually retired [medically] and is still trying to help you, and unbelievably some still don't or can't listen to him.
I have seen him at Annual Conferences argue the case for many issues and finally succeed through his dogged tenacity.
I have also seen him go to bat for ambos who have been dumped by their his work mates.
"While ever you are in my union, then I will back you no matter what you ahve been accused of" are words that I have heard him say time and time again.
I only wish that he could have been there for me in my darkest hour.
Sticking by your work mates is the DNA of unionism. You guys are losing the bloody plot with what I read here.
Good onya Rik, you are the bloody best!
Dennis R. you are a brave man and your stock has risen sharpley in my eyes.
P.A.P.
As is widely publicised, our teachers are pushing for a 100% pay rise whilst our ambo's are pushing for a 'meagher' 30%. Sure, our teachers care for our children, but what of the struggling ambo on a maximum $24/hour, caring for our lives?
P.A.P
Yes there are guys like Rik we should hold in high regard. I don't know the man but from your kind words he sounds like he is a man of integrity and honour.
Unfortunately I have seen time and time again, for over 20 years, seedy individuals in this service manipulate things to benefit themselves.
Sub-branch executives that don't follow HSU policy by still allowing 2 person stations in the state so they can get a lousy call-out to back up a single officer as I stated earlier.
There is a conflict of interest of having Senior Uniformed Staff in our union. The average person on the street could see that.
Unfortunately when people are angry they treat others holding the same banner with the same contempt. I guess this happened in Rik's case.
Rik you sound like a good man.
you can still access thru intranet by .......www.realambo.blogspot.com.au
if you really want to show unity,all resign from the HSU by the 15/11/07.that is when the next delegets meeting is.Hand in your resignation to your deleget so they can take it to the next meeting.This will surly show that the members are united!.the HSU then has 13 weeks to get their act together and work for us.I thought i was paying them my fees for that very reason.
If you have a deleget that has other interest,rather than yours i suggest you send them to a sub branch that is happy to take them,to the meeting.
now is the time to show that we do mean business.
tell your deleget that you do want action ,that you can not afford to wait till may 08 for it to be heard.
For you members out there that beleive in the HSU,that they are doing the right thing for you,just remember that this claim has been in for nearly 3 years.that you still do not have in black and white that you are covered by D&D.I want it in writing many a government has renigged on claims before.
The HSU only wanted to do a public campaigh,with stickers and posters so it would keep us all quiet before the Federal election.They only gave us 4% thinking that,that would keep us quiet too.
Show your unity with the rest of the state,and put your resignation in before the 15th november.
Its your last chance to really show unity.The HSU know that we are dumb,why else would they delay it.Its crap about the IRC,and who cares if they cant fit us in to hear the case.
They can fit us in when we put industrial action on,cant they.!!!
Just remember "everyone likes an Ambo when they need one" let them think they may not have one,then see it all change.!!!!!!
from Dennis R.
brisbane water sub branch have 66 resignations to hand in at the next delegets meeting.how are you all going out there at your own sub branches??Have you all been busy showing the HSU and the SVC you mean business this time or are you all going to just roll over???
from Dennis.R.
Dennis R.
Yes, a resignation by the 15th November from HSU would show our disatisfaction.
Unfortunately HSU, in the service, is broken up into so many sub-branches with their own agendas and their own interests at heart that just woundn't be realistic.
Most sub-branches spend most of time fighting between themselves and not agreeing on anything. Discussion papers, commitees, more discussion papers to set up more commitees. There's no direction or control from the top which is what we need. Surely members are paying for it.
HSU need to enforce their own policies with it's own sub-branches e.g. abolishing 2 man stations and single officer responses. This would show some real leadership and the members might start to believe in HSU again.
I understand what your saying....but in the real world everyone thowing in their membership by the 15th is just not practical.
Dennis i am with you mate.... resignation is all ready to go !
This is the only thing that will get a fire going under them.
I really want to believe in the HSU really, but so far they have shown me NOTHING.
Let me tell you this,if you employed someone and they didnt perform for you,,,,you would sack them!! Am i right?
If people dont leave the HSU then they may as well die a slow and unhappy carreer.
Sure the ideal situation would be to have union that respected you and was happy to go out on a limd,but the HSU has to many at the top who are only ther to extend their own polical carreer.
if members can not see that, then matbe they should stay.But iam out,I only hope there are alot more who leave so we can join another union.
I know many have said that this has been tryed before.
but lets break with tradition and actually do it.
Do you really think you are going to see a pay rise in May 08.If you really think that then you are nothing but fools!!!
You are not going to lose anythink by leaving are you?
So show some unity,it only has to be for 13 weeks or do you all not have enough guts to do that???
How does it feel to be told by a Union that you cannot stand up for yourself.......my DOG gives me more support than this union and iam sick of giving my money to an organisation that feathers its own nest!
It really is the time to stand or are you all getting too much money and you dont need a pay rise?
Dennis.R.
There has been alot of critism of HSU here. I agree.
However, we havn't heard from any of our Senior Managers yet, who are also in HSU.
So how about it Senior Managers what do you think of HSU?
Does HSU help you out?
What do you think of having the Same State Secretary in Williamson as us, does it help you manipulate things?
Don't be shy we all want to know.
hey spider
willis is on an ses package.
the rest of the superintendents are even more screwed over by hsu than you are. when was their last pay rise?
sure the ops centre supers got the 8% but they were already on level 4 pay, even though they had been demoted to the same rank as a sector manager inthe last of god knows how many restructures. thats the hr dept of ASNSW for you, they dropped the superintendent level but kept the pay level the same no wonder there is no money for us
thats the beaurocrats for ya
how many supers are left?
and before you say who cares, you might if you want promotion some day, but then the top job only goes to outsiders like mclauchlan, whinfield and willis who took up jums old job in nz and then came back
why do we need a ceo for fucks sake, the cops and the firies dont
still the supers are like the rest of this sad service as soon as they restructure the knives come out and they claw for the last few jobs instead of sticking together like rik the frog says and getting back what they had. every job lost there is one we wont ever have, till the suits get the lot and start to drive with us to suoervise us on jobs
hey did you catch bevan on 2ue yesterday. he didnt even know that the service charges for treatment and he is a big boss
after 5 years in the job a bag full of drugs all the responsability in the world and a piss poor hourly it not good enough. we need to open our eyes up and look for a new union that works for its members.
I gaurantee if you work at a station that has the top of the food chain union bosses there you have everything that opens and shuts there theres to much conflict of interest-the fuckers are corrupt!
our recriutment slogan reads join the most trusted profession now, it should be join the most easily lead profession if you want to work for peanuts and deal with management that are flat out wipeing there own arses!
how anyone can have any faith in the powers above you must be crazy or you have had the tounge out and it has an awefull taste with a brown stain around you mouth.
AEC what a joke Malone and Willis you guys are so out of touch with the real world maybe they should have less seafood lunches and less time on the habour and more time on the road seeing what being an ambo is all about.( Then again thats why there at the AEC having to left hands and all).
Single officer response is so wrong i totally agree with anonymous.
at the end of the day nsw ambos need to harden the fuck up and stand up for ourselves join another union now!!!
hello, good morning
i haven't been writing a letter to you. you are is very funny person. ambulance very dumb in same union as boss cock. because you are in here my English pronunciation is better than after go here. so I feel something strange. but you are a good teacher for me. if I see you again I'm very happy.
thank for teach me
bye ambo see you
agin
Wow ...!
I am starting to see large calcium deposits here, several other minerals too..... wait and theres some cartlilage forming in the shape of vertebra........ YES, yes, yes ! ITS A SPINE !
You real ambos out there should be really proud of yourselves. You have stopped all the nonsense bickering and senseless chit chat and have focused on the real issues at hand.
More than that, all the talk about how disapoined you all are with the pathetic HSU Is finally culminating in some action !
Again well done, and Dennis r, ... you legend !
I cannot believe that the last anonymous post believes that this obtuse site is getting anywhere.
To date, anyone who has put anything logical has either been personally attacked and/or ignored. The only comment that appears to show even remotely any leadership was the last one from "Donut King" which given how irrational you mostly appear, I thought you would have elevated him to at least your chief strategist, if not actually your leader and chief negotiator.
Face it, you are a rabble of the most severely retarded and delusional organisms that waste oxygen on this planet. Inclusive of that most of you, if not all of you heavily aspire to be the lowest scabs of all time.
This site is no more than a single brain cell unable to find a synapse.
Do us all a favour, either organise yourself into some witless gang, elect leaders, get some form of strategy, whether it be democratic or autocratic, and then actually attempt to do something for your cause, whatever that may be.
If you cannot manage this, then as a group or pack voluntarily euthanase so you have achieved something with your lives more than the best part of you running down your mothers' arse cheeks when you were born if it could even be called that.
I wait with anticipation and increasingly shortening patience.
Remember actions speak louder than words scabs.
To facinated i really dont know where you are coming from!but anyway ,back to the real stuff.
So the brisbane water sub branch have alot of resignations ready to hand in.(66) so far and more are on the way.
are you all going to let this sub branch do all the work and lead you all into a revolution of Ambos that do want to act or are you all going to be guided by your mis informed,self important delegets.
It will be a real let down come 15/11/07 when they turn up at the meeting to be let down again by weak and spineless delegets and members that go on about how bad off they are yet,will not stand by the brisbane water sub branch,who too have put alot on the line!.
Are they the only men and women out there that have spines?well wont it be interesting if they are.
And if they are then none of you should whing at all,you have a good chance here to stand your ground.I know I want to desperatly.
Iam worth more pay,better conditions and to be looked after if iam hurt on the job..
Let me ask you all out there,,,are you worth more pay,? if you think so then get your resignation in,fast.
Send it to the Brisbane Waters Branch if you have trouble getting your deleget to take it to the next meeting.
you have only 7 days to get your act together.
The HSU will try and convince you not to do this,but we have seen their track record,if not for the last 2 years.if you still have single crews out there and your deleget has done nothing about it,ask WHY!!!
This whole situation is just not good enough.Not good enough for you or the public.
Get your resignations in fast,and you will be rewarded
get to it boys and girls.
Dennis.R.
Fascinated,
Well I never, what a grotty little man you must be. You are obviosly not an ambulance officer. No real ambulance officer would use the language like you have. Do you work at Rozelle?
You sound very frustrated it's sounds like we have really hit a raw nerve with you.
You are not a real ambo, maybe just some obscure little man in an office that no one every takes any notice of. But you feel you have a big voice hear.......Well you don't
I think I just feel very sorry for you.
to fasinated
you real should get out from under willis desk and clean that mess of your face, you must be climbing the corporate ladder with your head in the sand!!!!!!
I will support you, those courageous brothers and sisters from brisbane waters, they (HSU) will have MY resignation on the 15th too.
Brisbane Waters brothers and sisters,
Good on ya....maybe you could fax other stations in the state asking for support.
Why should Brisbane Waters fax the rest of the state, why don't YOU do it.
I am starting to see some nouse out there, you guys might be worth somehing yet.
Who cares if you leave the union......the union of course.
You don't need them, you can get representation in the IRC if they try to sack you nowadays.
YOu guys have only 2 choices, LEAVE en-mass or have your delegates stick it to them at the delegates meeting.
Remember YOU GUYS ARE THE UNION, tell them what you want.
You executive members out there, get an emergency meeting going right NOW, get your membership to give you proxy votes to throw at the HSU ON THE DAY, supporting THEIR views.
YOU guys tell your delegates EXACTLY what YOU want, EXACTLY what you want...one more time, EXACTLY what you want.
Why? because HSU relies on your delegates having to go back to you members to present the offer. This defers it for another week or two, three, four. TILL AFTER THE ELECTION.
IF you do this your delegates have NO choice but to present your views to HSU and will have YOUR proxy to vote right then, not go back to you for yet another meeting.
OK so far?
If you can, go yourself to MAKE SURE you get your say.
It WORKS guys.... fix it BEFORE the election, you will get fuck all after it
Rik Shepherd
I went for a 24% work value claim and all I got was this lousy T shirt(and some stickers). HSU you are the weakest link,GOOD BYE!
My resignation will be in on the 15th.
pat,
Hey, I only got the stickers, no T-Shirt.....fuck you again HSU.
how many stations in the state are there are that have single officer responses?
im not sure how many single officer stations there are
whats happening to these officers who are working single is wrong !!!, after 15yrs in the job situations such as cardiac arrest and tending with a partner it dosesnt get any easier and you dont have a second to spaere .
So what hope do the pts have aswell these single officers in
these cases!
this is great news, that you out there are going to support yourselves by leaving the union.
It can be difficult to email other branches because the Brisbane Water branch only has limited email addresses.
You all need to email each other,,,you know that word of mouth thing!!,,you tell 5 people and those 5 tell 5 and before you know it ,,,well you get the message.
You have only now around 6 days to get our own campaign running.
LEAVE THE HSU CAMPAIGN!!!
send your resignations to the above sub branch if you feel you can not give it to your deleget.you can do this yourself, you dont need to inform anyone,as this is a private choise.
Do it tomorrow if you do nothing else,stand up and be counted as a strong ambo, do it for your self WE ARE WORTH IT, and dont be fooled by the HSU about wanting to give you a rise if they could,but they cant.The only people who can give you a pay rise ....IS YOU!!!!
fight for what you are worth,and have some self respect,we are being treated like dogs,and even dogs bite back in the end!!!
Dont forget it .......tomorrow boys and girls.
From DENNIS.R.
Poor lost souls,
Rik is trying to give you guys the very best of advice. Let's face the truth: "We just ain't listening" now are we???
Experience costing thousands of dollars in unpaid union work covering many years in different sub branches are being offered for free and still "we ain't listening?"
Rik is showing very practical leadsership skills such as;
1) Being a visionary;
2) Having acknowldeged technical skills in I/R issues;
3) Great communication skills;
4) Being highly respected as both a senior clinician and an industrial advocate;
5) Is a great unifier of opposing viewpoints and sides;
6) Actively listens to all viewpoints;
7) Protects and defends all in his team equally without passion or prejudice;
8) Can take being critisized, and
9) Is approachable.
Please listen to his poinant and astute arguments.
"Your ears cannot work when you mouth is too."
P.A.P.
Anonymous,
An anonymous said last night there are 3 X 2 man stations that he knows of Merriwa, Stroud and Murrurundi.
I don't know of any others in the state maybe someone out there might know of some more.
Since anonymous informed us last night no HSU supporters have made any comments about this injustice or the total disrespect to officers safety or patient care....buried there head in the sand....someone elses problem I guess, as usual.
That's why the majority of people in the forum have no faith in HSU.
P.A.P fuck off with your psycho babble bullshit.
P.A.P
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt!!!
Thats Fucken Mint SPIDER
Go you good thing
Kangaroo Valley has 1 full time officer and 1 part-time officer, this way there is only ever a single officer on duty. Back up comes from ringing the off duty officer or waiting 20+mins for a car from another station.
Spider and anon...
Many thanks for the smack in the mouth.
I try and help you and all you can do is throw insults.
P.A.P.
Just a question, once the 66 Brisbane Waters Officers resign, what do they do then, who represents them, do they do it as individuals, how are they going to afford to lodge an award application, or do they negoptiate individual contracts, what does a good industrial barrister cost when management now target you for bagging them on this blog. Just a thought.
Anonymous,
Thanks for your info. So far we have Kangaroo Valley, Merriwa, Stroud and Murrurundi where officers work one out and wait for backup from a neighbouring town if it's available.
Come on HSU supporters these people have sub-branches who are obviously not working for them. Isn't this type of practice against HSU policy anyway?
How do you do an arrest by yourself when as Anonymous said your backup is 20 min+ away?
I know maybe HSU could set up another comittee, create another discussion paper, form another focus group or sit around and tickle each others egos while this dangerous practice continues.
Does anyone know of anymore stations in the state where officers are forced to work alone?
Why is it that people blame HSU if the ASNSW has done the wrong thing. We should be directing this anger at ASNSW. We are HSU, they are guided by our sub-branch motions. Blame ourselves then. We are HSU.
The HSU have run very successful work vlaue claims in the past eg radiographers.
Leave HSU if you want. I just hope that yor conviction is still that strong and you wont accept any HSU achieved pay increses next may.
I have worked in RAV. If you think that the union down there is strong then you are ill informed and nieve.
The HSU is a class above them.
The RAV union is full of ex ambo's with back injuries that have no idea.
The grass is not greener people.
Mark, If you think we will have a pay increase by May you are going to be disappointed, that would be the start date for us to begin this same dance again,
I beleive strongly in Unions, they forged this Country and allow some of our Industries to be World Leaders in Safety and Work Conditions.
But this Union is weak and Not only with some of its members. I have been present when the HSU feed their Bullshit to the Delegates. They are not strong leaders.
This Union could work for us. That is why a majority of the BWSB have given them 13 weeks notice to lift their game. I think alot of delegates in other sub-branches also need to lift their game.
And for B.Campbell, Not wanting to be part of a weak union does not make you a SCAB.
P.A.P you were doing alright till you disappeared up RIK's arse.
I agree with Anon @1136pm if we all resign from the HSU then what????? it looks to me that our frustration is misguided. as a lot of bloggers have been pointing out we are the HSU, if we are pissed off with the HSU then we are pissed off with ourselves. our frustration should be aimed at the ASNSW Management, starting at the very top. we need a new structure with a uniformed officer in charge eg NSWFB, Police, even the RFS have a uniformed officer in charge. So lets all stick together, work as one and tell the service and the public what we want.
steady now !
WHITE HOT FOCUS REMEMBER !!
do not be fooled by those who would like you to think that without HSU you would be alone and scared ! example:- just over four years ago now, a good friend of mine was turned down in preference for a managemant stooge, after applying for a popular coastal station. HSU made a few noises and gave him the runaround for " 6 Weeks " before telling him there was nothing they could do ??? despite the obvious injustice.
So he aranged a meeting with a Senior ASNSW manager, and rocked up with a well known work place relations barrister ! and hey bingo ... he was packed and on his way up the coast just 2 days later !
And i know what you HSU execs would say...ooohh ! how much do you think that cost him.... well let me tell you ,,,,,, a lot less than the 15 years of HSU fees he had paid so far !
You will not be alone... do not be intimidated and do not think you cannot win a fight without the HSU, YOU CAN !
All you HSU supporters go right now to the phone and ring your Sector Office.
Ask to speak with either your Ops Manager of Div Manager. Then ask them what union they are in.
Yes they are in HSU as well.
Historically this has always caused problems in our service.
Agenda setting, manipulating the rank and file, sacking the executive at will, all with the help of Williamson and the HSU.
I think most of you know it but don't want to admit it.
However, I do respect your loyalty to HSU.
If you are staying in the HSU for legality reasons only then that is not a good reason to stay.
there are many Law firms out there who are happy to take on cases with a NO WIN,,,NO PAY policy.
There are also many organisations who are happy to help.Also if you stick to protocols and do your job,and dont get into trouble then what have you got to worry about?
If you,,, out there, have been running on a 1 officer policy then let me ask you why have you let this to continue.if the HSU are not prepared to do anythink about why stay in the HSU?
It is OK to stay in the HSU if you want,but really are they really doing what you want them to do,,,NO
As for Management problems, well
yes there are problems but you are not going to change it whether you are in the HSU or not.
That is up to the Government,and if you cant keep Bans on,then how do you think you are going to get rid of management???
Ambos need to put a "NO CHARGEING BAN" on now or at least the day after the delegets meeting 15/11/07.
why shoot yourself in the foot by putting bans on like "going off staion for lunch",how is this going to effect the Government.It wont,they are only worried about makeing as much money as possiable.Bans like no chargeing is really your only defence against the injustice that is going on.
Get your resignations in today.It is a start.The HSU wanted consecative days in the IRC,but they couldnt get that till May 08.That is the only reason why this claim is not proceding untill 08.
If they accepted the offer from the IRC to have it over numerous days then it would be in ,the IRC now(FACT).
Once again the HSU dont care if we have to wait till May08.
The D&D is not in black and white,do you think the HSU care if you are hurt and the government then say Oh well sorry you cant make a claim yet...Do you really trust the State Government,if you do then you are a fool!!
Its very easy to leave the HSU and you are only leaving for 13 weeks if you wish.By resighning you are giving them 13 weeks to get this herd and out of the way.I know that 24% will help with my morgage,,,how about you..?
Support Brisbane Water Sub Branch and write yourself a letter of resignation and send to Brisbane Water Sub Branch.If you think that your deleget will not take it to the Delegets meeting on the 15/11/07 then it is a must you send it to the above sub branch.
You can do it without telling your Branch leader.You have less than 6 days to go,
Its your last chance there will not be another election for at least 3.5 years.
You will no barganning power till then.
Hopp to it boys and girls,
you will be rewarded!
From Dennis.R.
Do any of you know how long it took for the New South Wales Fire Brigade Employees' Union to get the death and disability award?
It took six years to get something that still has significant flaws in it still today. One of the worst flaws is that anyone over 6o years of age still has to pay for it but due to being 60 or older does not get a payout under any circumstances!
I know this because i am covered by it as my second job and I lived through this where I could not get life insurance and had to have an extended waiting period with a bigger premium for income protection insurance.
Another flaw is even if you have your own cover and it is cheaper, you still have to pay as a retained firefighter $300.00 a year.
Unlike us short-attention span, instant gratification ambulance officers, the firefighters never once deserted their union, instead we put stickers on our helmets and ran an internet and publicity campaign including marches on parliament house.
We have the HSU who already have a starting date for the death and disability to start from November last year now thanks to all of us taking industrial action.
Well done, we all made this happen. Now we have a case that is actually timetabled before the commission where we need to give evidence to support our wage and work value case.
I still for the life of me cannot work out how these people who are going to resign from the HSU think they are going to make the full bench of the nsw industrial relations commission change the set dates as they not only preside over our case but many cases.
Those of you who have been around for a while may remember all the work the HSU had to do before the full bench for the additional annual leave case for us, evidence, expert witnesses and lots of time and money. Guess what, they got us the additional leave, how soon we forget such significant events.
The 339 additional officers that the HSU got for us. We only know too well about this in our sub branch area because we again had to threaten industrial action in May this year to get our sector to honour its obligation to get these new officers in place, and State HSU authorised us to have industrial action to make the Service conform.
I really implore you to be reasonable and do not resign from the HSU, but become active and unite with us that have been achieving things over the years.
If you cannot or will not help us do this, you are on your own and make our case far more difficult than it already is.
One more thing, you as HSU members can do like the firefighters' union did.
At our last union election, we elected almost a whole new state executive as obviously members were not happy with the performance of the previous executive.
You as a member can make change occur as clearly evidenced above.
Iam sorry D&D,
yes you may be correct in your advice about the 6 weeks ann> leave,you may be correct about the 6 years it took to get the D&D through for the firesies,,but really 6 years,in that time how many were hurt or killed and thier familys had nothing to fall back on..
There is no garrantee that our D&D will be there next week if someone needs to claim.I and Many others want this in Black and white,thankyou very much.
I dont trust any pollies or do i trust the svc or the HSU,and iam not synical either.They have given me know reason to trust them.
The society on a whole has become a very much user pay system.
we have had extra skills forced on us for the last 5 years.If we are to use these extra skills shouldnt we be paid for it?..yes (I will answer my own question).
I dont in the least think,,, that i owe society for useing these skills,but like everything in the world there are no free lunches!.
The HSU is a union,yes they do play apart in society,but they are not doing us ambos any favours.
By the time this work value case gets heard(may08),it will have been almost 3 years old.
So for the last 6 years i have been losing money not only in my weekly wage but in my super as well.
We will not get the 24% increase,i can tell you that.If you think we will,,,,,well sit up and smell the roses.
This claim will go on and on and on,god knows when and where it will finish.
The HSU has proved why we deserve our pay increase,its all there.you can ask if you like!!!!to see it.
But our leader (M.Williamson) does not want to make waves for what ever Labour party,Fed or State.
If the members put industrial action on"no charging",the IRC will hear us.
But members have to keep bans on and thats it,,, in a nut shell.There is no other way.
Over years you can look back and see that members of other unions have not taken strike action off.
The governments have meet thier commands.
We have the public on side this is only HSU propergannda.We are the most respected because the public voted us that.
Send your resignations to the Brisbane Water Branch,you not much time left.
As the saying gos
"enough is a enough"
(73 resignations in at BWSB)
from Dennis.R..
Anyone from the old 4 & 6 sub-branch ( Syd South east) reading cause we have heard or seen nothing on the emails or stations!!!
come on its time to semell the roses,this union and like most others are only a stepping stone for people to attain their pollitical agenda.
how many times have we seen it,just think about it troops.
Why pay 21 dollars afortnight to help someone get into pollitics to only screw us again when they get there!!!!
Iam out,and i know that iam doing the right thing,supporting my brothers and sisters in the Brisbane Water.
Roadrunner.Hunter
Hunter 43 resignations to go
Peter.R.
You know, i catch up with this website every few days to see if anything is actually happening, and all i read is a lot of name calling and abuse. Every now and then there is a fabulous comment and i become inspired again (as i felt when i first started reading this blog). It also upsets me - as a fellow ambo - to see the amount of spelling and grammatical errors that arise. We are making ourselves look like fools.
Here's a thought then:
LET'S BAND TOGETHER instead of tearing each other apart.
I don't love this job. I never have. But i love my mates that i work alongside. They make my shifts bearable. Sure, there is the odd loser on EVERY station, but even they are there for a reason - it all makes up for the dynamics of a station.
The reason i say, "Let's band together", is that there are still stations out there - i.e Bulahdelah Stn - who CHOOSE to work single. This just shouldn't go on. Here we are, after having fought so long and damn well hard, to work double crewing, and morons like this are choosing to work single. The Co-ord loves them. And why wouldn't they? Bulahdelah does everything to help them out.
Come on everyone. If we are atleast a little bit serious about any of these issues, we need to stick together. Stop bitching and whinging at each other, and let's get a move on.
If everyone is fair dinkum about the 15th, then i can only join my mates and stand together with them. Let's unite for once in our lives.
Mark,
Until we all realise that management is HSU and HSU is Management. I don't think ambos are going to get anywhere.
Mark your Ops Manager, Div Manager and D/O's are in your union. We cannot progress until be get them out.
There needs to be transparency and a strict divide between the interests of management and the interests of ambos.
The system we have at the moment does not provide any of this.
However, it's handy to know that as you progress up through the ranks and into management you won't have to change your direct debit details to pay your union fees.
Oh.....it's also very handy with our current system that your boss can share his union newsletter with you.
The "brothers" are gone but their legacy lives on.
Has the media been informed about us all leaving the union?
It'll make HSU's day, coming up to an election.
maybe we can tell the media on the 16th nov,when we imform them that Bans will now be returned at 0800hrs on the 16th nov 07 !!!!
Doesnt that sound nice Bans back on!!!.
Doesnt it feel good to have some control on your life style that you wish to have.
Dont forget boys and girls,,,get your resignations inn....more the more power we have.
Dennis.R.
Oh yes the spelling is bad and so is the grammer,but hey I think everyone still gets the message!!!!!
when the weceptah in the bwain is twiggahd we will gwet awother wuion
You know leaving the union only has to be for 13 weeks and actually you havent really left.You are only telling the HSU to fight for you,in a fashion that you expect them to.
You give them 13 weeks notice to come up with a resolution and you will rejoin,if they dont do that in 13 weeks then you know that your contributions meant nothing to them in the first place!!!!!!!!
You are still covered by the union if you get in the shit.But a good Ambo wont get in the shit will they.
Dont let them tell you other wise or anyone else to you this is not true,just read the rules on unions it tells you the truth,your Delegant wont,well some areas might tell you the truth.
Some members have been in for a life time,but we do need a change,unions are not what they used to be,dont let the life time members tell you any different.
Many older members dont like change,but we are young,with fire in the bellys,so lets go for it.
"LEAVE THE HSU CAMPAIGN"
Dennis.R.
thats good elma!!!!!
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