New Zealand Ambulance Association chairman Mark Quin said the union had reached an impasse with St John over pay negotiations.
He said the collective employment agreement expired six months ago, and there was still no resolution in sight.
The union gave two weeks’ notice of strike action.
There are five actions that ambulance officers will take – no longer responding to cardiac arrests by themselves; cease using their personal phones for St John operational needs; stop recording data; refuse to login to a system that monitors St John operational vehicles; and stop doing remote triage – where if a patient is deemed to be non-urgent, they are then transferred to a paramedic to give health advice and options that may prevent the need for an ambulance.
Quin said these actions will make St John in breach of meeting certain standards and maintaining appropriate accreditation as an ambulance service provider, and make data that justifies funding for St John inaccessible.
“At the end of the day, we do not want patients to suffer – particularly as we go into winter,” Quin said.
“We are just trying to make our voice heard, and our issues heard – we are six months, soon to be seven months, in breach of the contract.”
Quin said these actions would be the first of many, which wold be added to over the following months in series of industrial actions to force St John to table a reasonable offer.
Hato Hone St John general manager ambulance operations Stu Cockburn said the organisation had a comprehensive contingency plan in place to ensure it continued to meet patients’ needs.
“While our ambulance officers will remain committed to serving patients, the most urgent and life-threatening emergencies will be prioritised.
“As a result, patients with less urgent needs may experience delays.”
Cockburn said St John was committed to reaching a settlement through ongoing negotiations.
RNZ