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Security checks or “the sack” for 10,000 Canadian dock workers
21 October 2004
Port workers in Canada could face redundancy if they refuse to participate in intrusive new security checks, to be implemented as part of the Canadian government’s proposed new transport security measures.Around 10,000 dockworkers in the Canadian ports of Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax would be required to have their fingerprints and photographs taken, if new security measures for port workers, in the final stages of implementation, take effect.
The measures, which are being planned on the back of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, would also involve extensive background checks. These include Canadian police and security intelligence services checks for known or past associations and criminal records. In addition, financial checks would be carried out in order to determine if a worker was prone to being induced.
The Canadian government has stated that information would be shared with other foreign intelligence agencies.
If a worker refused to undergo security clearance, they would lose their job.
According to Vancouver-based ITF coordinator Peter Lahay: “The regulations, in place since 1 July, have limited ITF inspectors’ ability to spot-check flag of convenience vessels due to the requirement to seek an invitation in advance of the inspection.
“Meanwhile the government is doing nothing in the way of truly securing the nation’s ports. This starts with a dedicated police force. Canada disbanded theirs in 1997. Security is being papered over and workers are being turned into scapegoats.”
Kees Marges, ITF Dockers Section Secretary commented: “This is a wake-up call for port workers’ unions across the world. They should be alert to the consequences for unions and port workers of the misuse of the ISPS Code. So far only unions from the US, Canada and Australia, confronted with the implementation of government policies, have raised specific concerns about the issue.”
The ITF’s safety and security campaign, launched last month, aims to protect transport workers from excessive security legislation, which is frequently being used to undermine workers’ rights.
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