Victorian ambulance pay dispute stalled again over meal allowances

Negotiations between the Ambulance Employees Association and the Victorian government have broken down again ahead of the state election in November.

Health minister David Davis fronted the media today, saying there had been a breakdown in talks between Ambulance Victoria and the union, with the union adding a raft of last-minute demands.

He accused the union of being in the pocket of the Labor party.

“They’re either serious and genuine about settlement or they’re not,” Mr Davis said.

“I think you can see what’s going on here. This is a political campaign, it’s clearly a political campaign.”

The demands centre on meal allowances that the government believes will cost millions of dollars.

The union insists the latest demands are not new and have always been a part of discussions.

After two years of stalled negotiations, last week it seemed the pay dispute was close to being resolved but it now appears unlikely a deal will be reached before the election.