Working conditions for paramedics in the province are pushing workers to the brink.

That’s according to NAPE President Jerry Earle, who says the severity of working conditions across the province has been escalating.

According to him, call volumes are increasing, shifts are being extended due to a lack of staffing, leave is being denied, and red alerts are an “all too common occurrence.”

He notes that in the metro region alone, 15 per cent of paramedics are currently off work due to a physical or mental health injury.

In January, workers held a rally calling for action about the issues, but Earle states that little to no progress has been made by either government or the health authorities.

He says workers are being let down “with tragic results.”

Recently, calls were being responded to in the metro region by a private ambulance 45 minutes away because there wasn’t one available, which he says isn’t acceptable.

Earle will be joining the VOCM Morning Show tomorrow morning to further discuss the situation.