"Australian airport workers to confront Prime Minister"

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Airport workers to confront PM
Australia - The Melbourne Herald Sun


AIRPORT workers, angry that their concerns over security have not been
acknowledged by the Federal Government, will confront the prime minister
on his morning walk around the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli today.

Ground crew at Sydney Airport claim their lives were put at risk when
they were ordered to unload luggage from a plane forced back after a
mid-air bomb scare last month.

United Airlines flight 840 bound for Los Angeles returned to Sydney 90
minutes after take-off after a sick bag with the letters "B O B" written
on it was found in a first-class toilet.

At the time, flight crew believed the acronym may have stood for "bomb
on board", although the plane was later declared safe.

NSW Transport Workers Union (TWU) spokesman Glenn Nightingale said the
Federal Government had ignored six letters sent by airport workers that
set out concerns over security and safety protocols for workers at the
airport. 

Wearing red T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "B O B - Our Safety's No
Joke", workers will take their campaign directly to the prime minister
and will confront John Howard during his regular power walk through
Kirribilli.

Workers are concerned about alleged holes in perimeter and secure area
access arrangements and a lack of security training for airport workers
or uniform security standards.

Mr Nightingale said workers welcomed the Federal Government's
announcement of an additional $48 million for regional airport security,
but said standards were still lacking at Sydney airport.

"Most of the initiatives proposed for the regional ports have not even
been implemented at Sydney, our busiest airport," Mr Nightingale said.

"This is just not good enough. Today we will be appealing to the prime
minister to intervene and ensure everything possible is being done to
ensure our airports and our aviation system is as safe as it can be."


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