ELEANOR HALL: The Maritime Union has reacted angrily to the Federal Government suggestions that dock workers with criminal records could be sacked as part of new security measures, and it's threatening industrial action over the issue.

More than 100,000 port workers will be scrutinised as part of a security crackdown on Australia's airports and wharves.

The Federal Government says there could be significant job losses, but the Maritime Union says dock workers found to be engaged in criminal activity can already be sacked on the spot and it would be unfair to dismiss those with criminal pasts.

In Melbourne, Rachel Carbonell reports.

RACHEL CARBONELL: Ever since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, there have been moves afoot to improve port security around the country. Now the Federal Government is shifting the focus of port security again to include crime as well as terrorism.

The Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says Australia's wharves have a reputation.

PHILIP RUDDOCK: In the maritime area, people have been known to have criminal records and continued to have employment.

RACHEL CARBONELL: And he concedes new security checks of dock workers could result in job losses.

PHILIP RUDDOCK: Look, there is no doubt that if there are people who fail to meet fit and proper person tests, their capacity to continue to be employed in that area would be affected.

RACHEL CARBONELL: The Federal Government has suggested background checks would look out for repeated drug offenders, patterns of criminal behaviour and patterns of involvement with undesirable people.

The Victorian Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Kevin Bracken, says it would be unacceptable to sack someone because of their past convictions.

KEVIN BRACKEN: Say someone's been in an orphanage or someone is in an orphanage – they grew up, they went to a boys' home, they got convicted of serious crimes.

Now, that's been 15 to 20 years ago. They've been coming to work on a wharf, they've got a family, they're buying a house. Now, is it right that he's stopped from coming to work? On what grounds can that be justified?

RACHEL CARBONELL: Certainly in Victoria, some of the state's most notorious criminals have at some stage worked at the docks on the wharves – some of the forefathers of the gangland war have worked there as well. Are you confident that those kinds of criminal elements don't work there anymore and don't associate with people who work there anymore?

KEVIN BRACKEN: If you're talking about people with criminal convictions working on a wharf, there are. If you're talking about is there crime being committed on the wharf now – no, there's not. I'm not aware of any crime that's being committed on the wharf.

As I said, there's that many goods that come through the wharves every day. Nothing's stolen. And it might very well be that drugs are being imported in – they, in all probability are.
But as I said, everything's in containers now. I mean, it's got a seal on it, and the seal's not opened until it gets to its point of destination. I know they have lots of gangster shows shot down on the wharf, but it's, you know, it's probably an image that people have, but it's not actually true in fact.

RACHEL CARBONELL: Kevin Bracken says the union will seek compensation for workers sacked because of their criminal records and will also consider some kind of industrial campaign if significant numbers of workers are affected.

KEVIN BRACKEN: If it's a criminal activity they're engaging in now, they can be sacked. But how can they sack someone because of something that they've done in the past. If they've been working, performing their job, how can they be sacked because of a change of rules?

RACHEL CARBONELL: But Chief Executive Officer of Shipping Australia, Lou Russell, says it isn't really a change in the rules. He says the proposed security checks for dock workers are part of an existing plan.

LOU RUSSELL: Well, actually, this is an initiative the Federal Government announced about 18 months ago, actually, so it's one we've been following through. There will be a system of maritime security identification cards introduced for all workers and people who regularly access security regulated areas in ports.

That will require background checks, both of criminality and, if you like, immigration and of course in ASIO. So that proposal is already underway and I'm not sure that this is actually a new initiative but perhaps being a little re-badged.

RACHEL CARBONELL: Lou Russell says while some jobs might be lost, he doesn't think it'll be many.

LOU RUSSELL: A criminal record doesn't necessarily preclude you from acquiring one of these – it depends on the severity of the offence, you know, how long was spent in prison and what the offence was and so on.

So it doesn't sort of automatically mean there'll be extensive job losses, but that's not to say that there may not be some workers that, you know, don't pass the test. So there could be some losses, but we would be surprised if they were at all extensive.

ELEANOR HALL: Head of Shipping Australia, Lou Russell, ending that report from Rachel Carbonell.