Vic: Paramedics vote for work bans over colleague's sacking=2

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2007
Vic: Paramedics vote for work bans over colleague's sacking=2

MAS chief executive officer Greg Sassella said the organisation would take the issue
to the Australia Industrial Relations Commission tomorrow in a bid to have the bans lifted.

"It's about protecting the community, it's about using the lawful processes. The union
has mechanisms available to them to deal with their concerns. The bans, of whatever nature,
are unnecessary ... and they are unlawful and really the organisation, the Ambulance Service,
has no choice but to have the bans lifted."

Mr Sassella denied the paramedic's sacking had anything to do with the rape allegations,
saying it related to breaches of employment conditions.

"We haven't convicted anybody and we're not making any connection between our decision
and the courts.

"The criminal process must take its course. Our decision is not in any way reflecting
what may or may not happen in the court process.

"Our investigation has been very thorough, the union has been involved in the process
and the employment conditions of this paramedic are the reason that we have terminated
the employee and indeed have no, little, connection in fact with what the criminal process
may discover."

Mr Sassella said that while the work bans were planned for a non-peak time for paramedics,
patients would be potentially at risk.

AAP cbm/dj/dk/imc/cdh

KEYWORD: AMBULANCE 2 MELBOURNE (REOPENS)

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