1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,719 Speaker 1: Saint John and it's ambulance workers have found a solution 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: to their previous pay dispute. Saint John says there will 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: be no more industrial action that would disrupt road ambulance services. 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: It comes as the government announces a twenty one million 5 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: dollar funding boost for Saint John to go towards the operation. 6 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: The Ambulance Association secretary Mark Quinn is with us this morning. Mark, 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: good morning, Good morning. This is obviously good news. I'm 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: struggling to find detail on this. What will this mean 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: for your average ambulance worker. 10 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: All this means actually pay increases which is above the 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 2: inflationary pressures that have been going on, and including some 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 2: conditions which are around medical which is quite significant. So 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 2: it only takes us through to the end of June 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five. 15 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: Right, So next year will we be back in the 16 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: same situation with strikes again. 17 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: Possibly certainly not the first option that we look as 18 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 2: a the union to go to. But it's indicative what 19 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 2: the exits we took this year of the frustration and 20 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: actually the end how angry some of our members were 21 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: around where they found themselves when going to the bargaining 22 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: table with the employer. Saying they had nothing to offer us, 23 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: which they did in February this year. 24 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: They said it was the last final offer, best in 25 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: final right, and here we are with, you know, with 26 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: more money they've found behind the back of the couch presumably, 27 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: so problem not solved, problem just band aid over. 28 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, to a degree, I don't have a result that 29 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 2: this is a pay perity, you know. And this is 30 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: where since paramedics particularly were registered in twenty twenty, we've 31 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: seen that they have come a valuable commodity outside the 32 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: judicial emblan series of Saint John and Warrington free and 33 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: that is partly driving you know, the recognition to be 34 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 2: sitting alongside doctors and nurses and other health professions where 35 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: there sitting because they are now valued in the community. 36 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: And that's having seeking positions or getting positions out in 37 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: emergency departments, primary health key organizations and in the other 38 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: community healthy agencies. So that's you know, Saint John's been 39 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 2: slowly recognized that they're actually a valued product outside the 40 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 2: traditional ambulance services. 41 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: The one hundred percent funding obviously we're not there yet. 42 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,679 Speaker 1: The New Zealand First Party has had promised during the 43 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: election campaign to get ninety five plus do you know 44 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: where this extra funding gets us to in terms of 45 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: a percentage? 46 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: No, it only twenty one million only adds so I 47 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: think is a total of three hundred and fifty seven million, 48 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: So it probably adds somewhere another ten percent of their 49 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 2: good will take. But certainly it is a band aid 50 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: because it doesn't nobody knows what one hundred percent funding 51 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 2: looks like, and certainly Saint John and now and this 52 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 2: year have taken a turn from promoting themselves as only 53 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: wanting two to eighty two percent funding to now wanting 54 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 2: one hundred percent. But there's a recognition partly of the 55 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: economic situation in New Zealand and the inability to meet 56 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 2: the inflation pressures that you know for any other business 57 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 2: or organization is currently experiencing. 58 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: Mark, thank you very much for your time. Best to 59 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: like Mark when New Zealand Ambulance Association secretary. 60 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. 61 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks he'd be from five am weekdays, 62 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.