Government must meet obligations for service provision to rural communities
The contract negotiations currently underway between the provincial government and the paramedics’ union will deeply affect rural communities and the fact that this dispute has led to strike action shows a lack of leadership on the part of the BC Liberal government, says Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald.
“The last paramedics’ contract made significant changes to pay structures and educational opportunities which made the job of a rural paramedic much less appealing. In order to make a living, many rural paramedics are choosing to move to larger centres, leaving rural communities scrambling to fill the ranks.”
Paramedics are paid $10 per hour to be on call at the ambulance station. In rural areas where call volume can be low, paramedics can not afford to work for such low pay.
The requirement for paramedics to pay for their own training to do a job that pays so little is resulting in some paramedics working with a lower level of training.
“In rural communities, we rely heavily on our paramedics. Rural paramedics are often called to respond to accidents that occur far from emergency facilities putting a heavy burden on the ambulance service. But instead of ensuring that rural paramedics are supported in being highly trained, this government has forced paramedics to accept contract provisions that lessen standards and lowers quality of service.
“The government has a responsibility to get ambulance service right. We should not be relying on the paramedics’ union to fight for minimum standards; those standards should be set by government,” said Macdonald.
There must be improvements to the BC Ambulance structure that fully realizes the challenges of providing service in rural areas. A pay structure must be in place that makes the job of a rural paramedic attractive. A system must be developed that supports rural paramedics in taking higher levels of training.
“Forcing paramedics into a strike position over these issues is grotesquely unfair to all involved. The government has the responsibility to put an ambulance system in place that guarantees that appropriately trained and experienced paramedics arrive at the scene to care for our sick and our injured. Anything less is simply unacceptable.”