Victoria's health minister is urging nurses and paramedics to resolve enterprise agreement issues quickly, with unions poised to ramp up industrial action.
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Mary-Anne Thomas says it's crucial patient safety isn't impacted by the looming action.
"Obviously I don't want to see that, I want to see a resolution on the outstanding enterprise agreement," she told reporters on Monday.
"We have negotiators so we can reach a timely outcome and resolve these negotiations."
For the past week, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation action has seen staff wearing union T-shirts at work, refusing to work overtime and not completing paperwork.
The union will call a statewide meeting of members on Thursday unless there is an improved offer from government.
If not, further action is expected on Friday.
This broader action would include the closure of one-in-four beds, cancellation of one-in-four elective surgeries and stop-work meetings.
The union has previously rejected a three per cent pay rise with an annual $1500 payment.
Paramedics and ambulance workers will also vote on an additional 70 industrial actions in coming weeks.
The Victorian Ambulance Union has had more than 90 meetings on behalf of members over 15 months but no deal has been reached.
The union wants improved conditions including better end-of-shift management to reduce forced overtime, improvements to health and safety provisions and rural resourcing.
Ms Thomas said she was also hoping for a quick resolution with paramedics.
"There are a number of issues still on the table, still being worked through, and I encourage the parties to do all they can to reach resolution as soon as possible," she said.
Members voted for protected action including campaign messages on ambulance vehicles, not collecting billing details and crews ramped at hospitals for more than 40 minutes being able to activate beacons.
Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill says workers have "been exploited for way too long".
Nurses say workforce casualisation is the cause of rostering problems and a significant contributor to hospital budget blowouts.
"The government just has to do a better job at sitting down with its own workforce and their representatives and resolving these things," Opposition Leader John Pesutto said.
"There's no excuse for these disputes taking so many months."
Data shows health services spent $291 million on overtime and agency and casual nurses and midwives in 2023.
Australian Associated Press
