Paramedics in Victoria announce strike action

Paramedics throughout Victoria state announced on 16 June 2009 that they will go on strike to protest long working hours. Although the paramedics will not stage a complete work stoppage, they will start taking 10-hour breaks between shifts beginning on 19 June. Ambulance crews currently are allotted eight-hour breaks between shifts, meaning that the strike will create gaps in ambulance coverage. The paramedics have lobbied for longer breaks between shifts in an effort to improve overall working conditions. Managers with the Industrial Relations Commission stated that negotiations to avoid a strike broke down after the paramedics began speaking to the media about the labor dispute. Hospital officials have warned that prolonged gaps in ambulance coverage could see emergency calls go unanswered.