Unsafe vessels, fatigued staff, inadequate training and top-level resignations – the Brisbane ferry system is facing challenging times according to the Maritime Union of Australia.
The union claims members continue to report safety concerns to them that have fallen on the deaf ears of Transdev, the company that oversees the fleet.
The accusations come after a man was injured on Sunday, April 30, when a CityHopper hit the pontoon at South Bank terminal 3, leading to 30-minute delays and the following two services being cancelled.
Maritime Union spokesman Damien McGarry said members had reported that the vessel involved in the accident had experienced throttle issues earlier in the day. The boat was allegedly recommended to be taken off the water but the ferry master was told to continue operating until the end of the following day, when the vessel could be repaired.
Mr McGarry also said there was a shortage of replacement vessels for faulty ferries and there had been similar accidents that had gone unreported, where the boats involved had experienced problems that had gone unchecked or terminals that were unsafe hadn't been repaired.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.
The union also said ferry employees were fatigued by "horrible rosters". Some working days lasted about 15 hours and consisted of split shifts, for example five hours working, followed by four hours break before returning to the water again.
Members also said some shifts could stretch 11 hours and only be broken up by a 30-minute meal break. If ferries were for some reason running late or were delayed at terminals while a large number of customers boarded, then that cut into the break time. Mr McGarry said some masters had resorted to speeding in certain areas to make up for lost time.
The Maritime Union also said there had been several top-level resignations recently, with the Brisbane-based senior maintenance manager leaving last week as well as the second-in-charge of maintenance and the head of finance resigning this week.
Mr McGarry added he had also received reports from members that ferry employees were also being rushed through training.
"It is a perfect storm of health and safety concerns ... it's only a matter of time before we have a major issue on the river," he said.
"We're just relieved that (April 30's incident) wasn't serious and no one was injured ... our concerns are that the next time will be more serious and we believe there will be a next time."
In response to the accusations, Transdev said the current rostering system had been checked for adequate fatigue management and was created in accordance with an agreement endorsed by both the Maritime Union of Australia and Australian Maritime Officers Union.
In the statement, the company also said new deckhands and masters undertook a comprehensive training and evaluation program before being cleared for duty and the management structure had not changed following recent resignations, with the positions being filled.
Transdev added Brisbane Ferries would continue to operate with uncompromising standards of safety in line with the National Standard for Commercial Vessels.
All incidents on the water would be thoroughly investigated and Transdev would fully cooperate with any investigation launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority or Maritime Safety Queensland.
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