Airport Screeners 1 hr stoppages

Date: 15 April 2002

Hundreds of Sydney airport security workers will stage a series of one-hour stoppages on Tuesday as a pay dispute involving their employer, SNP security, gradually worsens.

Members of the LHMU Security Union are staging the one hour stoppages after the failure of two months of talks to achieve a decent pay increase, the LHMU Airport Security Union's National Secretary, Jeff Lawrence, said today.

" Airports, airlines and security companies are spending billions of dollars to upgrade security equipment in this post-September 11 environment but they are not prepared to upgrade the pay of our members.

" None of this new fangled equipment can work properly and protect the lives of our citizens, and the property of the airlines, if employers are not prepared to pay decent wages and respect the role our members play in this heightened security environment," Jeff Lawrence said.

" Wherever you go around the world the top security experts have warned that the terrorism cannot be fought by an over-dependence on technology, and little or no investment in the people who are meant to detect the potential for terrorist incidents.

" Sydney Airport Security workers are amongst the worst paid workers at the airport earning $13.04 an hour. Many of them have to take a second job to deliver a decent standard of living for themselves and their families," Jeff Lawrence said.

The one-hour stoppages by LHMU Airport Security Union members will effect both the international and domestic airports.

The LHMU has called on both the Sydney Airport Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure that airport security would not be compromised during the industrial stoppages of LHMU Security Union members.

" In the past SNP, and other security companies, have sought to get around LHMU Security Union stoppages by importing untrained and unqualified people to do our members' jobs.

" This is a very dangerous practice which the airport and government regulators should ensure does not happen tomorrow.

" It is against the regulations to allow untrained people to operate security equipment at the airport. In the past, despite our protests, the airport regulatory authorities have looked the other way - this time it shouldn't happen."

Industrial disputes involving airport screeners and security staff have spread around the world like wildfire as governments, airport authorities, airlines and security companies spend billions on equipment - but refuse to improve the trainingg and pay of the security workers.

Strikes and stoppages over post September 11 reforms; have been held in the USA, UK and Europe, as well as in Australia, by airport security union workers.

At Manchester airport - the second biggest airport in the UK - there have been rolling stoppages since the end of February by security workers.

The LHMU proudly represents more than 150,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia.

For info: Jeff Lawrence, LHMU Airport Security Union National Secretary 8204 7200 or 0425 242 724

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