MARITIME Union of Australia (MUA) and Australian Maritime Officers Union (AMOU) members working on Brisbane CityCat ferries have rejected a proposal to introduce licensed bars aboard vessels.
The plan had been suggested by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.
MUA Queensland Branch secretary Aaron Johnston said the ferry services existed to move passengers, not provide alcohol consumption.
"CityCats are public transport, not floating pubs,” Mr Johnston said.
“This proposal is a thought bubble: the Lord Mayor's own council can't say how it would work, whether outside contractors or existing crew would run the bars, or who would pay for refitting ten vessels,”
Mr Johnston said their members “already deal with unruly and intoxicated passengers on late-night services”.
“Putting alcohol on board will make that worse and add workload and risk for crew whose first job is the safety of everyone on a moving vessel,” he said.
Unions say CityCat members have recently paused protected industrial action to participate in Fair Work Commission proceedings to reach an agreement on pay and conditions.
AMOU industrial officer Tracey Ellis said crews were already carrying the increased workload generated by 50-cent fares, often with few breaks.
“Now Brisbane City Council is proposing another significant increase in their duties.
"Crews do not have the time to serve alcohol, monitor passenger consumption and meet responsible service of alcohol obligations," Mr Ellis said.
The MUA and AMOU say the proposal put forward by Brisbane City Council doesn't adequately consider the capability of having a licensed bar on the vessels.
“I bet there has been no stability calculations done to see if the CityCats can even carry the extra weight of a bar and drinks, let-a-lone a risk assessment on how they are going to deal with an emergency with less room to move with all the extra equipment and drunk passengers,” Mr Ellis said.
"The service should be improved by adding more vessels to the fleet, more runs to the timetable, not by creating more workload on the already exhausted crews.”
Mr Johnston said the Lord Mayor's proposal undercuts the established party boat scene in Brisbane.
"River cruise operators and riverside venues that have already invested in licensed hospitality shouldn’t have to compete with a ratepayer-subsidised ferry,” he said.
“If Council is serious about improving the CityCat service, it should start by sitting down with RiverCity Ferries and the workers who run it, and by resolving the current enterprise agreement fairly, instead of treating it as a stepping stone to a publicity stunt.”