APA (NSW) Newsletter Issue 15
FIGHTING BACK ON FORCED PART-TIME RECRUITMENT “APA (NSW) has significant concerns about the proposal in its current format. We are concerned that NSWA are claiming that this is a flexible work initiative while failing to provide the graduates with a true choice between part-time and full-time work, and at the same time failing to approve many current Paramedics’ flexible work requests." -Member Update, December 22 NSW Ambulance recently announced a plan to move forward with a 'trial' of part-time recruitment; offering 16 of the incoming graduate cohort jobs on a part-time basis (averaging 19 hours per week) for their first year in the service.
needed (see box on next page).
In theory, giving grads the choice between full time or part time roles sounds great— indeed, Ambulance billed the measure as a move toward improving workplace flexibility, which we can all agree is badly
Why is the proposal such a problem?
But there are serious problems with this proposal, which was made without proper consultation with the unions or with Paramedic graduates themselves.
1. It's not a choice Incoming graduates have not been given the chance to
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indicate if they would prefer to work a full or part time roster; and those working part-time will not be given control over the days or hours that they work. This makes the proposal incongruent with any promise of improved flexibility. 2. It creates insecure work When employees are only guaranteed part-time hours, but need to work more than this to make ends meet, Ambulance are guaranteed a whole new
