Rural Spares & Travel Allowance

The Union has recently been contacted by many paramedics regarding the travel allowance and its application to rural paramedics who are rostered “Spare”.

The travel allowance clause of the Agreement provides as follows:

26.22     Travelling Allowance

1. An employee, other than an employee required by the Employer to live away from home, who is required to report for duty to a workplace other than that to which the employee is normally rostered:
   1. is entitled to travel to and from such workplace in the Employer’s time and fares and incidental expenses will be paid by the Employer;
   2. if required to use his/her own motor vehicle in connection with the Employer’s business, the employee is entitled to be reimbursed at the following rates
      1. for vehicles with an engine capacity of 1.6L or less – 63 cents per km.
      2. for vehicles with an engine capacity of 1.6L to 2.6L  – 74 cents per km.
      3. for vehicles with an engine capacity of 2.6L or over – 75 cents per km.
2. Provided that clause 26.22(a) shall not apply:
   1. if the new location is an equivalent distance or nearer to the employee’s residence than the location where the employee is normally rostered;
   2. to an employee who changes roster by agreement with another employee;
   3. to an employee who has chosen to work at a different location;
   4. to an employee who has been given at least seven days’ notice of the change of rostered work location

• When members arrive at their rostered work location and are then directed to travel to any secondary work location in their personal vehicle you are entitled to claim travel for the entire journey from the rostered branch to the secondary work location. The Agreement provides no discounting clause.

• The travel allowance is only NOT payable when the new work location is an equivalent distance or nearer to the employee’s residence than the branch where the employee is normally rostered.

• Provided you are travelling a distance equal or greater than that from your place of residence to your home branch you are entitled to claim travel for the entire distance from home to the new work location. The Agreement provides no discounting clause.

• Members who are provided less than 28 days’ notice of a roster change are entitled to raise their personal and family circumstances as per clause 44 of the Agreement (Resource Allocation).

• Members who have not been provided 7 days’ notice of their work location should attend for work at their home branch and request that Ambulance Victoria provide secondary transport to other work locations.

• Members who have been given more than 7 days’ notice of a roster change should request that Ambulance Victoria provide transport as they are not being financially compensated for travel to a location other than their home branch

• Rural paramedics have the right to start and finish work at their home branch

• There is no requirement for rural paramedics to own a motor vehicle or be contactable outside of work hours under the Agreement

Steve McGhie
General Secretary