Wednesday, August 15, 2007

** Calgary medics’ dispute heads to mediator

** Melbourne paramedics feel ER crunch

CANADA NEWS

** Calgary paramedics will have to wait until the end of September to settle their pay dispute with the city. That is the word from the Calgary Herald (Colette Derworiz/August 14) which said neither the paramedics’ union nor city negotiatiors met during the 20 days set out this month for 11th hour contract talks. EMS union spokesman Bruce Robb said such a get together would have been futile, given the distance between the two sides’ positions. As a result of the stalemate, the matter will now go to a public emergency tribunal with mediator David Jones at the helm. Throughout the process, paramedics have sought an 18 per cent pay hike over three years, plus retroactive market adjustments. The city, meanwhile, has held firm to 12 per cent.

AUSTRALIA NEWS

** ER crunches in Melbourne earlier this week resulted in as many as eight ambulances queuing at the hospital waiting to unload patients. That is the word from the Herald Sun (Mark Buttler and Anthony Dowsley/August 15) which said the backlog at the Royal Melbourne, which began around 4 p.m. Tuesday, was being blamed on an increase in gastro and respiratory cases. A hospital spokesman also indicated patient volumes were up 8 per cent over last year. One paramedic, frustrated and concerned with the situation, said he took his hypertension patient to another hospital after waiting an hour for physician treatment.