Cruise workers offered retraining

[Jason]

Cruise workers offered retraining

By ABC News

The New South Wales Government is writing to the operators of all cruise ships that dock in the state, offering to provide responsible service of alcohol and drink spiking awareness workshops.

The inquest into the death of Dianne Brimble raised observations of a culture of heavy drinking on board P&O cruise ships.

It was also revealed that bar staff were paid commissions for selling alcohol to passengers.

Gaming Minister Grant McBride says NSW has no jurisdiction over international waters, but something needs to be done.

"Clearly Australian citizens when they are travelling on cruise ships, when they are operating out of Australia and dealing with Australian citizens, should enjoy the same sort of rules, regulations and responsibility as they do on the mainland," he said.

"I don't think there should be one rule on a cruise ship and a second rule for those people on the mainland."

Mr McBride says he is disappointed P&O has refused to drop its policy of paying bar staff a commission for selling passengers alcohol.

"I'm offering them the opportunity - that's the management of these organisations to attend one of these workshops and apply the principles on their ships," he said.

Mr McBride says the ships' legal obligations are unclear while they are in international waters.

"That's why we need the assistance of the cooperation of the Federal Government," he said.

He says he wants a memorandum of understanding to manage the issue.

[schatje]

If the workers are only "offered training" instead of it being mandatory then how can anything change?