Victorian paramedics are aiming for voluntary conciliation talks with the Fair Work Commission in the effort to end a long-running stoush over work conditions.

More than 300 paramedics from across the state took part in a rally outside the Victorian Health Department last week, leading to plans for arbitrary talks between the Ambulance Employees Association Victoria, the state government and Ambulance Victoria.

Slogans painted on ambulances in protest say Victorian paramedics are the lowest paid yet highest trained in the nation. They have called for a pay rise, better working conditions and improved resources to tackle the ambulance crisis.

Ambulance Employees Association Victoria general secretary Steve McGhie said the current situation is getting worse, with fed-up paramedics moving interstate for improved conditions.

“The survey we conducted last year indicated unless paramedics are valued…we could lose up to 1500 paramedics over the next five years,” he said, “paramedics have been going interstate and they have also been leaving the industry altogether.”

Mr McGhie said he hopes for paramedics’ sake that the voluntary talks are successful, though neither party is forced to be there.

“I think there’s a lot of work to be done but we are prepared to give it our best shot and come up with something reasonable,” he said, “the worst case scenario is taking some stop-work action... it’s a drastic effort – paramedics don’t take that lightly because it means they are withdrawing their services.”