By Andy Young

Hospitality industry groups have joined together in South Australia to call for a “draconian” proposal to drug and alcohol test staff in bars, hotels and restaurants to be withdrawn.

The Australian Hotels Association SA, Clubs SA, SA Wine Industry Association, Clubs SA and Restaurant and Catering SA wrote a joint letter to MPs calling on the proposal, which was put forward by SA Police (SAPOL) to be withdrawn from the state’s review of its Liquor Licensing Act.

In its submission to the Liquor Licensing Act review SAPOL called for random drug and alcohol testing of hospitality and wine workers to be introduced, with a zero-tolerance policy on staff test results. In addition it called for police to have the power to require bar staff to carry out a test and that it become an offence to resist testing, the industry groups have criticised the proposals as unjustified.

In the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by TheShout, the industry groups said: “The State’s five Industry Associations representing Hotels, Hospitality, Independent Bottle shops, Bars, Late Night Entertainment Venues, Restaurants, Cafes, Caterers, Licensed Community Clubs, sporting facilities and the Wine Industry including cellar doors are unified in their opposition to the SAPOL ambition to have the legal capacity to randomly alcohol and drug test workers involved with the sale and supply of alcoholic beverages. 

Read more here.

This story first appeared in The Shout.