Ambulance officers will continue giving NSW patients a free ride until at least Monday, while they consider the industrial watchdog's request they stop the action.
The Health Services Union (HSU) began the industrial action at noon (AEST) yesterday, after the NSW government failed to meet its deadline to employ 300 new officers.
The union also wants NSW Ambulance Service chief executive Greg Rochford fired.
Officers are refusing to collect paperwork to bill patients until their demands are met.
The service today took the matter to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC), which recommended the union "cease all current industrial action".
The IRC also said the union should "refrain from further industrial action".
HSU general secretary Michael Williamson said he took the IRC recommendation seriously, but officers would continue to give free rides to patients until at least Monday, when they planned to discuss their next step.
"I think we want to get a feel from the delegates about how they now want to proceed with this," Mr Williamson told AAP.
"We'll be in a position on Monday to give everyone the answer then."
The refusal to charge patients is expected to cost the NSW government up to $1.5 million a week.
The HSU has called for Mr Rochford's sacking, saying its members, who comprise about 95 per cent of ambulance officers, want one of their own to run the service instead of bureaucrats.
They claim Mr Rochford has failed to stamp out a culture of bullying and does not know what frontline workers are experiencing on a daily basis.
Mr Rochford has repeatedly refused calls to stand aside.
Premier Morris Iemma and Health Minister Reba Meagher have said Mr Rochford has their full backing.
