omadvertiser.com.au
ADVERTISER, Friday, April 5, 2024 - Page 1
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BEECHWORTH - CHILTERN - RUTHERGLEN - STANLEY - YACKANDANDAH Friday, April 5, 2024
Phone (03) 5723 0100
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INSIDE
AN EASTER TRADITION An estimated 14,000 people packed to the streets of Beechworth last weekend for the Golden Horseshoe Festival. Headlined by the parade on Saturday which included the Beechworth Montessori School (pictured), the festival had activities and entertainment for everyone. ■ Story page 2 PHOTO: Trevor Ierino
Margaret’s last hurrah Page 2
Rallying for the appeal Page 3
Working overtime
Indigo Interview Page 9
Paramedics cite forced overtime,, fatigue g as major j issues theyy want addressed in EBA negotiations g AMBULANCE Victoria (AV) staff and paramedics, who are campaigning for better conditions under enterprise bargaining agreement industrial action, say burnout is a major contributor to staff turnover. North East paramedic Taylor Honey said staff are collectively forced to work 800 hours overtime a day
BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au
across the Victorian service, impacting work-life balance and the retention of staff. Ms Honey has been with AV for three years and under protected industrial action she and her colleagues want
to get the message across that work conditions need to change. She explained that a regular shift can be 10-14 hours and to work added forced overtime impacts employees’ abilities to have a good work-life balance. “A 14-hour night shift can turn into 16 hours and we really want to make sure we’re
alert and getting home and seeing other family members before they go off to work or school, or attend planned occasions,” she said. “This is all really important and when that doesn’t happen you have to put provisions in place to pick your kids up or drop them off to school, like ringing the daycare and a friend to pick them up.
“It doesn’t seem sustainable for a lot people and that’s why there is a large proportion of people who are unable to stay with the service.” Ms Honey said a study by RMIT and Swinburne found that one in five paramedics are looking to leave the service within the next 12 months. ■ Continued page 4
Easter run for fun Page 11
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