CityCat Ferry Workers Reject Brisbane Mayor's Onboard Bar Plan

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, put forward by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. MUA Queensland Branch Secretary Aaron Johnston says the ferry services exist to move passengers safely between stops, not to provide alcohol consumption, and highlighted the absence of planning and detail from the proposal. "CityCats are public transport, not floating pubs. 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". Aaron Johnston continued "Not one crew member has been consulted. Our 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". CityCat members have recently paused protected industrial action to participate in Fair Work Commission proceedings to reach an agreement on pay increases and improved working conditions. AMOU Industrial Officer Tracey said "Crews are already carrying the increased workload generated by 50-cent fares, often without adequate 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 while safely operating the service" Tracey Ellis added. The MUA and AMOU say that the proposal put forward by Brisbane City Council doesn't adequately consider the capability of having a licensed bar on the vessels. Tracey Ellis said "There has been no consultation with the Masters about whether this ridiculous proposal would even work. The vessels do not have enough power available for the refrigeration required for bar operation. 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." "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" Tracey Ellis added. Aaron Johnston said that the Lord Mayor's proposal undercuts the established party boat scene in Brisbane and argued that if Brisbane City Council want to improve the service, it should sit down with RiverCity Ferries and the members to settle ongoing negotiations. "River cruise operators and riverside venues that have already invested in licensed hospitality shouldn't have to compete with a ratepayer-subsidised ferry". "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. Commuters, families and people who rely on these ferries to get around deserve a safe, reliable service, not one built around a bar" Aaron Johnston added.