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Issue No. 152 | 13 September 2002 |
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The Legacy of 11/9
Interview: Still Flying International: President Gas Politics: Australia: A Rogue State? History: Levelling September Unions: Welfare Max Bad Boss: Welcome to Telstra! Health: Fat Albert: The Grim Reaper Poetry: A Man From the East And A Man From The West Review: The Sum Of All Fears
Legends The Locker Room Bosswatch Week in Review Awards Activists
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News Casual Approach to Air Safety
"Our information is that many of them have not got the proper accredited training and licensing needed to do this key job," LHMU Airport Security national secretary, Jeff Lawrence, said. "In a tough security environment it is not appropriate that half the screeners have no background in airport security work. "And it is definitely not right that they are brought in to protect the lives of travellers by what seems to be a questionable labour-hire arrangement between Sydney airport's security contractor, SNP, and an outside firm." Only 15 percent of the airport security workers at Sydney International Airport are full-time airport screeners. This compares to Melbourne where nearly half the airport screeners are employed fulltime. Fictional Bodies The union has also called on the Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd (SACL) , the Department of Transport (DoT) and the NSW police to investigate whether fictional 'bodies' are sometimes written into attendance sheets to cover the fact that not all security bases are covered when casuals do not turn up for work. The LHMU is demanding that all airport screeners and security staff should have appropriate clearance from DoT personnel - for aviation security training and security licensing. "Concerns about the quality and the lack of appropriate skills of these casual airport screeners is so high that Air New Zealand recently asked for a group of screeners to be removed instantly," Lawrence reported. "A few months ago the Department of Transport escorted between 20 and 25 security screeners off the airport site because they were found to be casual workers without the right paper work and qualifications." While Sydney Airport is a problem the LHMU research shows that right around the country the trend is to use part-time and casual workers in airport screening. There are no full-time airport screeners at Perth or Adelaide airports. The majority of security screeners in Adelaide are casual workers. Canberra has slightly more casuals and part-timers than fulltimes. Tasmania does better. Hobart has eight full-time airport screeners, four part-time and two casuals, while Launceston employs five fulltimers, four part-timers and two casuals. More than 250 people are employed as airport security screeners in Melbourne. Just over fifty percent are brought in as casuals, the rest are fulltime, permanent airport security screeners. Brisbane's airport also relies on a largely part-time and casual crew with only 38 fulltimers amongst 145 screeners. Cairns - an important tourism gateway - has only one fulltime airport and employs 11 casuals and 8 part-time workers.
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