SA paramedics have been ordered to give up all industrial action, including writing chalk messages on ambulances. 

The state’s employment tribunal has been called in to arbitrate an ongoing dispute between the SA Government and its Ambulance Employees Association. It has issued an interim order for South Australian ambulance officers to stop all industrial action including writing political messages on vehicles, wearing union T-shirts to work and refusing to charge patients for ambulance services.

The Ambulance Employees Association (AEA) is preparing to present the argument to the tribunal that chalking ambulances and wearing union T-shirts does not restrict members from doing their jobs, and is not a form of industrial action.  

AEA secretary Leah Watkins says the union's broader campaign will not be stopped.

“Ambos have been chalking because the ambulance service is in absolute crisis, Adelaide has the worst response times in the nation, people have died at home waiting for an ambulance,” she told the ABC.  

“They have been advocating for well over a year now and chalking their vehicles for well over a year and the government has done nothing about it that whole time. 

“Now a few weeks out from an election they have decided to dispute this public safety messaging.

“They are simply campaigning for public safety, and they should be allowed to continue doing that. 

“There is no harm caused by the chalking, it washes off with water and a wet rag so there's no harm done, the only harm is to the reputation of this government who have presided over the worst levels of ramping we have ever seen and the worst response times we have ever seen.”

Treasurer Rob Lucas said; “If they want to chalk then they can go ahead and go their hardest with their own private vehicles”.