St John ambulance staff: your agreements and pay, clause by clause.

Source for this section: AE529705, PDF pp 11–16, 36–37, 85–86, 92.

1. Coverage. The agreement covers and applies to St John, "the Union, subject to sections 53 and 201(2) of the Fair Work Act", and "the Employees employed in the classifications listed in Appendix 1 – Rates of Pay" (cl 3.1(a)). "Union means United Workers Union" (cl 7). The parties are the same three (cl 3.2).
2. Relationship with other laws.
   1. The agreement excludes other laws, awards and orders "to the extent permitted by law", except the National Employment Standards (NES) and the laws on long service leave, occupational safety and health, workers' compensation and training (cl 3.3).
   2. Where the agreement is inconsistent with the NES and the NES gives a greater benefit, the NES applies (undertaking 1).
   3. No extra claims may be made while the agreement operates (cl 3.4).
3. Classifications, in pay order (Appendix 1):
   1. Student Ambulance Officer – CPHC, and Student Ambulance Officer – Operations;
   2. Ambulance Officer Grades 1 and 2, and Paramedic Intern Years 1 and 2, paid the same as Ambulance Officer Grades 1 and 2;
   3. Ambulance Paramedic AP1, AP2 and AP3;
   4. Station Officer Grades 1 to 3;
   5. specialist and acting roles: Critical Care Paramedic Intern, Critical Care Paramedic, Aircrew Clinician Lead, Clinical Support Paramedic, Secondary Triage Paramedic, Community Paramedic, Paramedic Special Operations, Extended Care Paramedic Intern and Extended Care Paramedic, and two grandfathered Clinical Education roles.
4. Progression (cl 42.1):
   1. a student ambulance officer moves to Ambulance Officer Grade 1 after 12 months and the second year of the Paramedical Science degree, and to Grade 2 after 12 months more and the third year (cl 42.1(a)(i)–(iii));
   2. a degree-qualified registered paramedic without jurisdictional experience enters as Paramedic Intern 1, and moves to Intern 2 after 12 months (cl 42.1(a)(iv)–(v));
   3. AP1 follows up to 12 months at Ambulance Officer Grade 2 or Intern 2 and completion of the degree (cl 42.1(a)(vi));
   4. AP2 follows 336 shifts as an on-road AP1, a rule that starts 12 months after commencement; until then the step takes three years, and serving AP1s have the shift count pro-rated. A shift for this purpose is a standalone shift of at least eight hours, not overtime (cl 42.1(a)(vii), (b));
   5. AP3 follows four years as an AP2 (cl 42.1(a)(viii)).
5. Who is outside the agreement. Contract paramedics working for third parties (industrial sites, events) under a St John commercial contract are not covered, though a St John paramedic who also does contract work is covered for the shifts worked under the agreement (cl 22). Volunteers are not employees; cl 36 deals only with paid staff working beside them.
6. Types of employment: full time, part time, fixed term or casual (cl 41.1). Probation is three months, or six for student ambulance officers and paramedic interns, with one week's notice during probation (cl 41.2).
   1. Part-time employees work 10 to 76 ordinary hours a fortnight on a written pattern, with pro rata pay and leave (cl 24).
   2. Casual employment is only at AP1 and above, with a 25% loading, a three-hour minimum and at least 84 hours of work a year plus the Continuing Education Program (cl 26). On a public holiday cl 26(c) says 45%, but undertaking 3(d) gives casuals 150% on top of the casual rate, and the undertaking is the more generous term.
   3. Job share is available for ambulance officer, intern, paramedic, critical care and station officer positions and is not to be unreasonably refused (cl 25.1).

Source for this section: AE529705, PDF pp 2, 11–12, 92, 96.

1. The agreement took effect seven days after approval (cl 3.5(a)): 22 July 2025 (St John Ambulance Western Australia Ltd [2025] FWCA 2337 at [7]).
2. "The rates of pay in this Agreement will apply from 1 July 2024 as provided in Appendix 1 – Rates of Pay" (cl 3.5(b)).
   1. The 1 July 2024 rate table, and Appendix 2 (allowances), are headed for employees employed on the date the agreement commences.
   2. Read with those headings, the back-dated increases appear to have gone only to people still employed on 22 July 2025. That is an inference from the headings; how St John applied it is not on the public record.
   3. St John's best offer in bargaining was a lump sum equivalent to back pay from the expiry of the 2021 agreement (St John Ambulance Western Australia Ltd and United Workers' Union and Ambulance Employees Association of Western Australia [2025] FWC 1375 at [8]).
3. Nominal expiry is 30 June 2027; after that the agreement "will continue to operate until terminated or replaced in accordance with the Fair Work Act" (cl 3.5(c)–(d)).
4. "The Parties agree to commence negotiations for a replacement Enterprise Agreement at least six (6) months prior to the expiry of this Agreement" (cl 3.6(a)), that is, by 30 December 2026. "Parties" means St John, the UWU and the covered employees (cl 3.2). This is a promise in the agreement, not a duty under the Act.

Source for this section: AE529705 Appendix 1, PDF pp 92–94; St John, UWU and AEAWA [2025] FWC 1375 at [8].

The rates rose in three steps.

1. For Station Officer Grade 3 and below and Paramedic Special Operations, the steps were 7% from 1 July 2024 (on the 2021 agreement's rates), then 5% from 1 July 2025 and 5% from 1 July 2026. Critical care paramedics got 9.1% at the first step, then 5% and 5% (St John, UWU and AEAWA [2025] FWC 1375 at [8]).
2. For example, the 2021 agreement's last AP3 base rate, from 1 July 2023, was $1,730.24 a week (AE517183 Appendix), and $1,851.36 is 7.00% above it.
3. The other specialist rates for the first step were set by the draft agreement, not by a stated percentage.

Base weekly rates (38 hours), and the total weekly and annual rates from 1 July 2026 including the shift allowance and shift penalty (Appendix 1):

The 1 July 2024 table is headed for employees employed when the agreement commenced (see "Term, back pay and the next agreement"). Community Paramedic and the grandfathered Clinical Education Trainer are "Acting Positions. Only paid whilst rostered to the position"; Clinical Support, Secondary Triage and the grandfathered Training Coordinator are "Paid at all times when in this temporary position" (Appendix 1, footnotes).

How the total is built (Appendix 3A, PDF p 99; cl 23.2(e)–(f)):

1. the base weekly rate is 38 hours, and the hourly rate is the base divided by 38;
2. the shift allowance averages the night (15%), Saturday (50%) and Sunday (75%) loadings over the roster. Appendix 3B still works this out on the 2011 roster of 10-hour days and 14-hour nights;
3. the shift penalty is one hour a week at the hourly rate. Together with the two hours included in the shift allowance, it pays the two extra rostered hours each week at time and a half (cl 23.2(e)–(f));
4. the total annual rate is the total weekly rate × 52.1667. Two older trade-offs are folded into the hourly rate: 0.4 of a week of accrued days off, and "one week of ordinary rate ... in lieu of any penalties for working on Public Holidays" (Appendix 3A).

Other pay terms:

1. Specialist and acting staff (Clinical Support, Extended Care and Critical Care paramedics) keep their base rate even when working on road as an AP (cl 34.1(b)).
2. An employee acting in a higher classification gets the higher rate for that period (undertaking 5).
3. No one stays a Student Ambulance Officer – CPHC for more than 12 months, and an employee who stays more than 12 months at the grade named in undertaking 6 has earnings reconciled monthly to be "at least 2% better off overall" (undertaking 6). The undertaking's second sentence names "an Ambulance Officer – Grade 1"; it may mean the CPHC student.
4. Clinical Education Trainer and Training Coordinator secondments are paid 5% and 7% above the substantive total rate, with existing holders grandfathered (cl 21).

Superannuation: the guarantee, plus 1.5% of ordinary time earnings once probation is over for an employee who contributes 5%; the default fund is REST; contributions continue for up to 52 weeks on workers' compensation (cl 39).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 16, 18, 19, 28, 34–36 and Appendix 2, PDF pp 27–34, 48, 58–66, 96–98.

Appendix 2 allowances rise 5% on 1 July 2025 and 5% on 1 July 2026 (cl 34.2). Each row's footnote says when the first rate starts: some from 1 July 2024, some only from commencement on 22 July 2025.

(a) Night Shift Payment. It is paid for each rostered night shift on the 224 and day, early, late, night rosters, and on overtime, but not on the 4x4 roster and not on personal leave (cl 34.3(b)–(d); cl 23.7(h)).

(b) On-call allowance, per hour or part hour on the on-call roster, from 1 July 2024, 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026 (cl 35.23; Appendix 2):

Station officers' on-call rates run from $9.45 (Grade 1) to $9.82 (Grade 3) on 1 July 2024. A Community Paramedic on call is paid the Community Paramedic rate whatever their substantive role (cl 16.2(d)).

(c) Location allowances, weekly (cl 35.16–35.18; Appendix 2):

1. Location Allowance (Zone and Country), for seconded employees only: from $18.32 (Metro Surrounding Area) to $257.11 (Northwest) on 1 July 2024, with Northwest at $283.47 from 1 July 2026 (cl 35.17);
2. Community Paramedic Location Allowance: Tier One (Northwest, Mid-West Remote, Goldfields) $429.50 a week from commencement (22 July 2025), rising to $473.53 from 1 July 2026 (cl 35.18);
3. Regional Support Allowances (the clause calls it the Regional Services Allowance), for permanent employees only: Kununurra, Karratha, Newman, Broome and Port Hedland $1,828.92 a week at commencement and $2,016.38 from 1 July 2026; lower amounts elsewhere, down to $47.72 at commencement ($52.62 from 1 July 2026) for Bunbury and nearby towns. Rates for any new location are at "St John's sole discretion" (cl 35.16).

(d) Life insurance assistance for critical care paramedics (including interns) and Paramedic Special Operations, a flat annual amount: $500 at commencement, $525 from 1 July 2025 and $546 from 1 July 2026 (cl 18.7; cl 19.7). These amounts are not in Appendix 2; the 1 July 2025 step is 5% but the 1 July 2026 step is 4%.

(e) Fixed amounts that do not rise:

1. Country Relief Employee Expenses of $210 a week with meals or $541 without, on a statutory declaration of "maintaining a home" (cl 35.27);
2. $500 a week if a relief employee declines St John accommodation (cl 35.28(b));
3. watches and glasses up to $220 (cl 35.13).

(f) Travel.

1. Australian Taxation Office cents per kilometre on the return distance less 20 km, when rostered away from the home or preferred station on seven days' notice (cl 35.1);
2. with less notice, excess kilometres plus travel time (cl 35.2);
3. no one is rostered more than 55 km from their home station (cl 35.1(h)).

(g) Shift commencement checks. A crew that voluntarily accepts a call before its shift or in its first five minutes (critical care: 15 minutes) is paid 15 minutes at 200% of base (cl 30(c)–(d); cl 18.2).

(h) Other:

1. reimbursement of required uniform and footwear (cl 35.11);
2. the driver's licence fee (cl 35.12);
3. "reasonable costs of funeral expenses" where an employee dies from a work accident or work-caused illness (cl 35.14);
4. one return flight to Perth a year for postings 500 km or more from Perth (cl 35.19);
5. removal expenses (cl 35.20);
6. housing for seconded staff (cl 35.25–35.26); and
7. a health and wellbeing benefit "as prescribed in St John's policies and procedures" (cl 38).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 12, 15–20, 23, 28, 29.4, 31, 35.22–35.23, PDF pp 21–22, 27–42, 48, 51, 53–55, 64.

1. Ordinary hours average 38 a week "plus reasonable additional hours specific to each roster", with a maximum rostered shift of 13 hours (cl 23.1(a)–(b)). The roster types are 224, 4x4, Day/Early/Late/Night and country rosters (cl 23.1(c)). A shift crossing midnight counts as worked on the day it starts (cl 23.1(d)).
2. The 224 roster: two day shifts, two night shifts and four days off.
   1. Day shifts start 0700 to 0800 and nights 1800 to 1900. The roster works 48 hours in each eight-day cycle, and each week is paid as 38 ordinary hours, two hours at time and a half and two hours as accrued days off (cl 23.2(d)–(e)).
   2. The accrued days off come to 12 a year: ten taken with annual leave and two rolled into the hourly rate (cl 23.2(g)–(h)).
3. The day, early, late, night roster: one each of day (0700–1900), early (0800–2000), late (1000–2200) and night (1900–0700), then four days off, with the same pay structure (cl 23.3). It "shall be implemented on a trial basis for the life of this Agreement" (cl 23.6(f)).
4. The 4x4 roster: two early then two late 12-hour shifts, then four off, with a vehicle span of 0600 to 2400; existing holders keep starts on or after 0630 and finishes by midnight unless they agree otherwise (cl 23.7). No Night Shift Payment is paid on it (cl 23.7(h)).
5. Metropolitan rules (cl 23.4):
   1. no rostering to a country station without agreement;
   2. a home station by residence;
   3. St John may direct a change of shift or roster, but not to more than two consecutive night or late shifts.
   4. Rotating officers keep the same start time for at least four weeks, with 21 days' notice of a change (cl 31.8(c)), and spend no more than 16 weeks a year as a spare (cl 31.9(e)).
6. Changes on the day: St John tries to give 24 hours' notice; with two hours' notice the employee travels in their own time; inside two hours St John provides transport (cl 29.4).
7. Community paramedics average 42 hours: solo with flexible hours in a 0600–1800 spread, the Community Paramedic Allowance covering standby and six hours' overtime a week (cl 16.3), or back-to-back rosters with on call outside working hours on their days on (cl 16.4–16.5). Secondments and critical care and extended care rosters may also average 42 hours (cl 15(a); cl 18.5; cl 20.5).
8. Country rosters are set after consultation with the employees and, if they ask, their representative (cl 23.1(e)).
9. Crib breaks.
   1. One uninterrupted, paid 30-minute crib break on shifts of ten hours or more, counted as time worked, within a five-hour span across the middle of the shift (cl 28(a)–(d)).
   2. No low-acuity priority 4 job is allocated until the crib break is taken (cl 28(e)).
   3. The Broken Crib Break Allowance escalates on consecutive rostered shifts and resets after any absence (cl 28(k)–(l)); refusing a directed crib break forfeits it (cl 28(i)).
   4. For shifts over five but under ten hours, undertaking 4 adds a paid 20-minute crib break, with the award's spoilt meal allowance if it is interrupted.
10. On call.
    1. The employee must stay contactable and respond, and is paid the on-call allowance per hour (cl 35.23(a)).
    2. A call-out is paid at double time with a two-hour minimum per call (cl 35.23(c)).
    3. The employee is free of on call every second weekend and for an average of eight days in 16 (cl 35.23(e)).
    4. St John pays phone connection and rental, and 20% of calls, where no mobile is provided (cl 35.22).
11. Right to disconnect. An employee may refuse contact out of hours unless that is unreasonable under FW Act s 333M (cl 12(b)). St John may still require monitoring while the on-call allowance is paid (cl 12(c)) and may contact employees about roster changes, recalls and offers of overtime (cl 12(d)). Disputes go to the dispute procedure (cl 12(e)).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 24, 26, 29, 40.10, undertaking 3, PDF pp 43–51, 74, 102.

1. Work outside ordinary hours is paid at double time, and each day stands alone (cl 29.1(a)–(b)). There is no time-and-a-half step. Part-time employees get double time over 76 hours a fortnight, on extension overtime and on immediate call backs, and ordinary time for other extra hours up to 76 (cl 24(h)–(i)).
2. A recall, including an immediate call back, has a three-hour minimum at overtime rates (cl 29.1(c)). An immediate call back is a job, or an offer of an overtime shift, with less than 90 minutes' notice (cl 29.1(d)).
3. Long extensions. "Employees shall be paid at double time and a half (250%) of their base rate as per Appendix 1 – Rates of Pay for all time worked past two (2) hours after their shift cessation" (cl 29.3(a)(v)). This does not apply to an immediate call back where the employee is recalled for a specific job (cl 29.1(d)(i)).
4. Breaks between shifts where overtime is worked: 11 hours between 11-hour shifts, 10 hours between 13-hour shifts, and 10.5 hours between 12-hour shifts (cl 29.1(e)). An employee directed to work into the break is released without loss of pay, or paid double time until released (cl 29.1(f)). This does not apply on the on-call roster (cl 29.1(g)).
5. Shift loadings: night 15%, Saturday 50% and Sunday 75%, averaged into the shift allowance (Appendix 1; Appendix 3A). Casuals get these on top of the casual-loaded rate (undertaking 3).
6. Public holidays:
   1. full-time shift workers rostered on a public holiday work it, and are compensated by the additional week of annual leave (cl 40.1(b)(i)) and the week's pay rolled into the hourly rate, not by a penalty rate (cl 40.10);
   2. part-time employees are paid double time and a half for a public holiday worked, and nothing extra if not rostered (cl 40.10(b));
   3. casuals get 150% on top of the casual rate (undertaking 3(d)).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 9, 16.1, 29.2–29.3, 29.6, 32, 33, 36, PDF pp 18, 27, 49–52, 55–57, 66.

1. Reasonable overtime.
   1. An employee may refuse overtime that would make their hours unreasonable (cl 29.2(b)).
   2. The factors include the risk to health and safety, the dispatch priority of the case, the availability of other resources, the employee's personal circumstances including family responsibilities, and the needs of an organisation providing pre-hospital care in an emergency setting (cl 29.2(c)).
   3. The discussion must not delay a priority 0 or 1 response (cl 29.2(f)).
   4. St John is to adopt an overtime process whose "overriding principle" is release at the end of the shift (cl 29.2(h)).
2. Ramping. Ramping appears in three clauses:
   1. where a case was reasonable at dispatch but is downgraded after clinical assessment and is ramped on arrival at hospital, St John must "take reasonable steps to reduce the overtime" (cl 29.2(g));
   2. a takeover crew is sent to hospital as priority 2 "to take over a crew that is ramped at a hospital at the end of their shift", diverted only for priority 0 or 1 (cl 29.3(a)(iii));
   3. a paramedic intern sent alone to a ramp may only support a standard crew (cl 32.1(d)).
3. Other end-of-shift protections (cl 29.3(a)):
   1. a mandatory out-of-service period in the last 15 minutes, broken only for priority 0 or 1;
   2. no interfacility transfer over 35 km in the last 90 minutes unless priority 1;
   3. a dynamically deployed crew is non-operational at the end of its shift so it can return to its start station, except for priority 0.
4. Fatigue.
   1. The parties recognise fatigue "is an issue of primary concern" and list shift length, start and finish times, breaks, overtime "especially shift extension overtime", workload management and personal responsibility (cl 29.6(a)).
   2. The joint consultative committee meets on fatigue and may recommend changes; a change to the agreement needs a formal variation, and fatigue disputes go to the dispute procedure (cl 29.6(b)–(e)).
5. The agreement has no staffing numbers, response-time targets or ramping limits. Workload in general is a consultative committee topic (cl 9(b)(ii)).
6. Crewing.
   1. Standard metropolitan crews are AP/PI or AP/AP (cl 32.1(b)).
   2. If one cannot be formed, St John must first offer overtime or split AP/AP crews, and may then deploy single officers or other crew formations with an adjusted clinical scope (cl 32.1(c)–(e)).
   3. A paramedic intern put in a PI/PI crew on 16 or more shifts in 12 months may ask not to be for three months (cl 32.1(g)).
   4. There is no rostering with a medic except to tutor (cl 32.2).
   5. In an emergency, and at the written direction of the chief executive, St John may take "reasonable measures" outside these rules, reversed when the emergency ends (cl 32.3).
   6. Managers may crew on road only with the employee's agreement (cl 33).
7. Country crews. The standard country crew is one employee and one clinical volunteer; St John will ensure volunteers working with a paramedic get driver training within three months, and sets their minimum skill set "in consultation with the Union and Employee representatives" (cl 36(a)–(c)).
8. Community paramedic coverage. St John was to report to the consultative committee within three months of approval with a list of Community Paramedic locations ranked by call volume, population and resourcing, and "will make all reasonable efforts to convert the top three (3) priority locations to a back-to-back model" during the term (cl 16.1(c)–(f)). Whether the report was made is not on the public record.

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 40 and 47, PDF pp 69–84, 89.

1. Annual and additional leave (cl 40.1):
   1. four weeks for non-casual employees (cl 40.1(a));
   2. shift workers who regularly work Sundays and public holidays also get one week for the NES, one week for public holidays falling on rostered days off, and two weeks of accrued days off: eight weeks in all on the 224 or day, early, late, night roster (cl 40.1(b));
   3. leave loading is 17.5% of base or the shift penalties, whichever is greater, on the four weeks (cl 40.1(h)), and shift allowances and penalties are paid on all annual and additional leave (cl 40.1(i));
   4. leave is taken on the leave roster (cl 40.1(e)–(g)). Sickness on annual leave with a medical certificate within 14 days converts the time to personal leave (cl 40.1(l)–(m));
   5. cash-out by separate written agreement, keeping at least four weeks (cl 40.2); half-pay leave at St John's discretion (cl 40.3); and purchase of up to four weeks, once in the agreement's term (cl 40.4).
2. Personal/carer's leave (cl 40.5–40.8):
   1. 130.29 paid hours a year ("144 shift hours, 3 shift rotations"), deducted at 10.86 hours per 12-hour shift, 9.95 per 11-hour shift and 11.76 per 13-hour shift (cl 40.5(a)). That is about 12 shifts; the NES minimum for a 38-hour week is 76 hours;
   2. the first two years' entitlement is available in advance (cl 40.5(c));
   3. evidence is required for absences of more than two continuous days, or after more than four days in a calendar year, and a statutory declaration will do where a certificate is not reasonably practicable (cl 40.5(h)–(i));
   4. preferred notice is two hours before a day shift and four before a night shift, but this does not apply where notice is not reasonably practicable (cl 40.6(b), (e));
   5. for a work injury, sick leave is paid until the workers' compensation claim is accepted and then re-credited (cl 40.6(d));
   6. carer's leave is for immediate family or household members (cl 40.7), with two days' unpaid carer's leave per occasion once paid leave runs out (cl 40.8).
3. Compassionate leave: the hours of four ordinary shifts, each time an immediate family or household member dies or has a life-threatening illness or injury, and never less than the NES (cl 40.9). The agreement operates subject to the NES on compassionate leave (undertaking 2).
4. Long service leave (cl 40.11–40.12):
   1. the Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA) applies, with additions (cl 40.11(a));
   2. 13 weeks after ten years and a further 13 weeks after each further seven years, with pro rata access after seven years in four-week blocks (cl 40.11(c));
   3. pro rata payment on leaving after seven years, at age 55 or over after 12 months, on termination for ill health after 12 months, and on death or a termination by St John other than for serious misconduct between three and ten years (cl 40.11(d));
   4. leave is taken within 12 months of falling due unless agreed, on 30 days' notice, and St John sets a limit on how many may be on long service leave at once, equal to 1% of eligible employees (cl 40.11(m), (o)–(q));
   5. St John commits to "develop and implement an electronic system within the lifetime of the Agreement" for employees to view, select and change long service leave (cl 40.11(n));
   6. cash-out once a financial year with St John's agreement (cl 40.12).
5. Parental leave (cl 40.13):
   1. a primary care giver who is not casual and has 12 months' service gets 12 weeks at the weekly base rate, or nine weeks at the total weekly rate, either at half pay over double the time, in one continuous period; part-time employees pro rata (cl 40.13(b)–(d));
   2. location allowances continue during paid parental leave (cl 40.13(f)), and extended unpaid leave is not to be unreasonably refused (cl 40.13(g));
   3. a partner gets eight paid shifts, starting within 21 days of the birth or adoption, in one block (cl 40.13(h)).
6. Family and domestic violence leave (cl 40.25–40.26):
   1. ten paid days in each 12 months, available in full at the start, not cumulative, taken as a block, separate days or part days (cl 40.26(a), (d)–(f));
   2. "Approval of family and domestic violence leave pursuant to this clause will be at the discretion of St John, taking into consideration the Employee's particular circumstances with regard to family or domestic violence" (cl 40.26(g));
   3. the FW Act gives every employee 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period (s 106A(1)), to be taken when the conditions in s 106B are met, with no employer approval step. Where the agreement is inconsistent with the NES and the NES gives a greater benefit, the NES applies (undertaking 1);
   4. the leave is recorded as salary in payroll for confidentiality (cl 40.26(h)).
7. Other paid leave:
   1. defence service: up to 20 paid shifts a year for reserves or cadets training (cl 40.14);
   2. jury service: paid what the employee would have earned (cl 40.15);
   3. court attendance: if work-related, paid at ordinary time with travel, or overtime if not rostered; if not work-related, released on unpaid, special or other agreed leave (cl 40.16);
   4. Ahpra matters: an employee who gives evidence or takes part "shall be paid as if they would have worked, providing that the Employee has not had any findings by any St John investigation of misconduct relating to the enquiry" (cl 40.17);
   5. paid cultural and ceremonial leave for First Nations employees: up to five shifts a calendar year (cl 40.27);
   6. exam special leave for student ambulance officers and ambulance officers on the degree, if the university will not defer (cl 40.23).
8. Special leave (time banking) (cl 40.19–40.22): paid leave St John may grant, banked by extra shifts or paid back later.
   1. Metropolitan places are 9% of on-road employees from 1 July 2026, with none at Christmas, New Year, Australia Day or Easter public holidays (cl 40.19(b), (e)).
   2. Balances run from 96 hours positive to 48 negative (cl 40.20(a)), and unused banked time is paid out at double time on request or termination (cl 40.19(h)).
9. Leave without pay and transition to retirement. Leave without pay is at St John's discretion (cl 40.24). From age 55, transition to retirement options include part time, job share, a move to ambulance officer or intern pay, a patient transport role and four weeks' unpaid leave a year (cl 47).
10. What the agreement does not contain.
    1. It has no PTSD or psychological injury leave, no critical incident, trauma or debrief term, no peer support or employee assistance programme named in the text, and no salary continuance insurance term (searched 4 November 2026).
    2. It mentions salary continuance only as a status in which leave does not accrue (cl 40.1(d), 40.5(d), 40.11(b)(i)).
    3. Psychological injury is dealt with by WA workers' compensation (cl 44 refers to the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 (WA)).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 8–10, PDF pp 16–20.

1. The joint consultative committee deals with operational matters, workload, changes to work organisation, the use of fixed-term and casual employees, and implementation of the agreement (cl 9(b)).
   1. Employee representatives are at least equal in number to St John's, and it convenes within 28 days of a written request by St John, an employee representative "or the Union" (cl 9(c)–(e)).
   2. Representatives are paid for attendance (cl 9(g)).
   3. Decisions "will continue to be made by St John" (cl 9(i)).
   4. It does not apply to major change under cl 10 (cl 9(k)).
2. Major change (cl 10.1):
   1. before a final decision on a change likely to have a significant effect (terminations, changes in the workforce, loss of opportunities, hours, retraining, relocation, restructuring), St John must notify affected employees "and/or their nominated representative(s)", give them requested information other than confidential or commercially sensitive information, and discuss the change (cl 10.1(a)–(b));
   2. St John may implement the change once it has complied (cl 10.1(c));
   3. employees "may appoint a representative" (cl 10.1(e));
   4. St John "recognises that genuine and effective consultation with Employees and the relevant Union" includes a genuine opportunity for "Employees and the relevant union(s)" to give input before a decision, all relevant information, considering feedback, and reporting how it was considered (cl 10.1(g)). The clause does not define "the relevant Union".
3. Changes to rosters or hours: consultation as soon as practicable after the change is proposed; the employee may appoint a representative; St John must give information, invite views including on family and caring responsibilities, and consider them (cl 10.2).
4. Individual flexibility arrangements may vary when work is performed, overtime, penalties, allowances and leave loading, if the employee is better off overall; St John must tell the UWU in writing seven days before entering one, without personal details, and the UWU's consent is not needed (cl 8; cl 8.6).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 11, 14, 31.11, 43, 46, PDF pp 21, 24–26, 55, 87–89.

1. The dispute settling procedure covers "any dispute relating to the National Employment Standards or any grievance, dispute or matter which is raised by St John, an Employee or group of Employees, except disputes relating to the termination of an Employee's Employment or disciplinary procedures" (cl 11). The steps are:
   1. discussion with the relevant supervisor (cl 11(a));
   2. after five weekdays, in writing to the Head of Department, Executive Director or Chief, or their delegate (cl 11(b));
   3. after ten more weekdays, if the dispute relates to a matter arising under the agreement or the NES, "any party to the dispute may refer it to Fair Work" (cl 11(c));
   4. the Commission first tries to resolve it, including by mediation, conciliation, expressing an opinion or making a recommendation, and if that fails "may then: A. arbitrate the dispute; and B. make a determination that is binding on the parties" (cl 11(d)). The parties abide by the decision, subject to appeal (cl 11(e));
   5. "At all stages of the procedure set out above, either party may appoint or be accompanied by a representative of their choice" (cl 11(g));
   6. while the dispute is dealt with, the employees continue to work "in accordance with this Agreement" (cl 11(h)). Disputes about the right to disconnect (cl 12(e)) and fatigue (cl 29.6(e)) are sent to this procedure expressly.
2. Discipline is outside cl 11. Disputes about "disciplinary procedures" and terminations cannot be taken through it. Whether a dispute about how cl 14 is applied is a "disciplinary procedures" dispute is not settled. For a dismissal, the FW Act's unfair dismissal and general protections provisions remain.
3. Employee behaviours and disciplinary matters (cl 14), new in this agreement:
   1. employees are expected to keep a workplace free from bullying, harassment, discrimination, victimisation "or any form of disrespectful, discourteous, or intolerant behaviour", and failure "may lead to disciplinary action through a misconduct (or serious misconduct) or a performance pathway" (cl 14.1);
   2. St John "recognises the distinction between performance issues and misconduct" (cl 14.1(c));
   3. performance standards come from the position description, policies and procedures "(including clinical guidelines)", the agreements, the contract and directions, and "Serious failures to apply due care and skill to your role may amount to misconduct" (cl 14.2);
   4. "St John does not need to issue a warning before ending an Employees employment, but St John agrees that Employees should generally be provided with a chance to fix and performance issues" (cl 14.3, quoted as written);
   5. misconduct examples include breaching the Code of Conduct or policies, failing to follow a lawful and reasonable direction, failing to disclose information that may affect capacity for the inherent requirements, and "Failing to exercise due care in the performance of your role to the expected standard" (cl 14.4);
   6. serious misconduct is "deliberately behaving in a way that is inconsistent with continuing their employment", for example serious and imminent risk to health and safety, theft, fraud, assault, sexual harassment or refusing a lawful and reasonable instruction (cl 14.5).
4. What cl 14 does not contain: investigation steps, a right to be told the allegation or to respond, a warning ladder or warning expiry, and time limits.
   1. The agreement has no suspension, drug and alcohol testing or clinical incident process (searched 4 November 2026).
   2. Procedural fairness therefore comes from the unfair dismissal law (FW Act s 387) and St John's policies, which are not part of the agreement.
5. Related terms:
   1. if St John reduces an employee's classification "for any reason including, but not limited to, training or disciplinary reasons", it may roster them away from their allocated position for that period (cl 31.11);
   2. health assessments, at St John's cost, to test fitness for work or for return after extended illness or injury: the employee chooses from two practitioners St John selects, may get the report and a second opinion, and may appeal to the relevant Director (cl 43);
   3. Ahpra attendance is paid unless a St John investigation has found misconduct (cl 40.17).
6. Termination (cl 46):
   1. notice by St John is one to four weeks by service, plus a week for an employee over 45 with two years' service, and pay in lieu must include allowances, loadings and penalties (cl 46.2). Summary dismissal is for serious misconduct (cl 46.1);
   2. notice by the employee is seven days, and St John may deduct for short notice (cl 46.3);
   3. one day off without loss of pay to look for work during notice (cl 46.4);
   4. there is no redundancy clause: redundancy pay is the NES scale (FW Act s 119). Casuals have no redundancy pay (cl 26(f)).

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 4, 7, 8.6, 9(e), 10, 11(g), 13, 36(b), PDF pp 12–24, 66.

1. Payroll deduction of union fees on written authority, remitted fortnightly to "the Union" (cl 13.1).
2. Workplace delegates may:
   1. represent Eligible Employees in consultation, disputes, disciplinary processes, bargaining (where appointed under FW Act s 176) and any policy process (cl 13.2);
   2. communicate with them at work, on breaks and before and after work (cl 13.3);
   3. use a room, noticeboard, workplace electronic communications, secure storage and office equipment, subject to operational limits (cl 13.4); and
   4. have up to five paid days of initial training and at least a day a year after, capped at one delegate per 50 Eligible Employees (cl 13.5).
   5. Delegates must comply with their duties and policies and must not obstruct work (cl 13.6).
3. Who those rights belong to. A "Workplace Delegate" is an employee "elected or appointed as representatives of Union members at St John", and "Union means United Workers Union" (cl 7). "Eligible Employees" are "members and persons eligible to be members of the delegate's union who are employed by the St John" (cl 7).
4. Other references to the UWU: the notice of individual flexibility arrangements (cl 8.6); convening the consultative committee (cl 9(e)); and consultation on the volunteer skill set (cl 36(b)).
5. Representatives that are not limited to a union.
   1. An employee may appoint "a representative of their choice" in disputes (cl 11(g)), "their nominated representative(s)" and "a representative" in major change (cl 10.1(a), (e)), and "a representative" for roster changes (cl 10.2(b)).
   2. Before the Fair Work Commission, who may appear is governed by the FW Act, not by the agreement: a lawyer or paid agent needs the Commission's permission (s 596(1)–(2)), with the exemptions in s 596(4) (see the overview page FAQ "Who can represent me in a dispute?").
6. Not in the agreement: right of entry (FW Act Part 3-4 governs it), paid union meetings and union induction access.

Source for this section: AE529705 cl 3.5–3.6, 16.1, 23.6(f), 29.1(h), 31.7(c), 40.11(n), 42.1, PDF pp 12, 27, 42, 49, 54, 76, 86.

1. Nominal expiry 30 June 2027, continuing after that until terminated or replaced (cl 3.5(c)–(d)).
2. Negotiations for a replacement to start at least six months before expiry, so by 30 December 2026 (cl 3.6(a)).
3. Commitments to be delivered during the term: a digital rostering system for overtime allocation (cl 29.1(h)); an electronic long service leave system (cl 40.11(n)); the trial of the day, early, late, night roster (cl 23.6(f)); a yearly review of every 27 and 47 vehicle for permanent placement (cl 31.7(c)); and the Community Paramedic back-to-back work (cl 16.1).
4. Dated steps already reached: the final pay step on 1 July 2026 (Appendix 1); special leave places at 9% from 1 July 2026 (cl 40.19(b)(i)); and AP2 progression by 336 shifts from 12 months after commencement (cl 42.1(a)(vii)).
5. The agreement has no reopener and no promised review of classifications, discipline, fatigue or ramping beyond the consultative committee.