Airport screening powers a plus

Date: 03 December 2003

New airport screening powers and improved training for security workers at our major airports are being debated right now in Federal Parliament - but Australians can only feel secure when airport security is delivered to all airport passengers, the LHMU Airport Security Union said today.

" The failure to have a seamless national airport security standard is the greatest threat to our airports in this era," Jo-anne Schofield, LHMU Airport Security Union Assistant National Secretary said.

" The Howard government can't fob off this issue by claiming to look after airport security adequately simply by codifying the frisking powers of screeners.

" That's why we keep pointing out that until the Federal Government is prepared to properly fund airport security for our 140 regional airports we will continue to have a gaping hole in the national standards that the Australian public demands.

" Recent independent reports on regional airport security quite correctly point out that these airports are launch pads for terror. It is not hyperbole...it is an ugly fact of life."

LHMU Airport Security Union's 7 point plan

" Some of these seven points will now be addressed by the laws being debated in Parliament today - and the subsequent regulations which will be developed.

" The LHMU Airport Security Union has had some input into this process and we will now sit down with the Department to ensure that the regulations associated with this Bill - to come into force in twelve months time - meet all the demands of professional airport screeners.

" Across the country the overwhelming majority of our airport screener members have signed petitions promoting our 7 point plan, which calls for improved quality and professional standards which deliver nationally consistent training and nationally consistent standards."

The seven point plan calls for:

- A consistent national training standard to a minimum of Certificate Level 3 to apply to all companies and airlines and staff performing searches;

- Training and assessment to be undertaken by independent, accredited organisations and not be the security companies themselves, because members are concerned that they may self-accredit staff;

- Improvements in pay to reflect these additional and higher responsibilities;

- Proper facilities to be provided for the conduct of searches;

- Clear, consistent national standards and guidelines to be communicated to all security officers and members of the public;

- The supply of hand held scanners and other relevant equipment so as to reduce the need for intrusive searches to be conducted;

- Additional permanent staffing to enable the conduct of these searches, and minimum supply of male and female guards on each shift at each screening point to undertake searches

Deputy PM and National Party leader letting down his constituency

" The LHMU has proposed for some time a flexible airport security plan which would allow for a national centralised airport security contract tendering process to deliver national security consistency and national training standards for part-time and casual security workers available to protect our regional airports.

" Mr Anderson - who is also the Transport Minister - should be aware of the regional airport crisis because everytime this significant political figure boards a plane at his local airport in Northern NSW he and the other passengers get aboard a commercial flight without any security screening happening.

" This is a terrorists daydream - a gaping hole which we should shutdown immediately," Jo-anne Schofield said.

The LHMU proudly represents around 130,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia

For further comment:

Jo-anne Schofield, LHMU Airport Security Union Assistant National Secretary,

02 8204 7231 or 0425 242 684

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	8204 7206
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au/

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