Fed: Random drug and alcohol testing trial underway at smelter

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Fed: Random drug and alcohol testing trial underway at smelter

SYDNEY, April 8 AAP - A 13-week trial of random drug and alcohol testing is underwayat an aluminium smelter near Newcastle.

Despite fierce resistance from employees at other workplaces seeking to introduce randomurine testing, the 750 workers at Hydro Aluminium Kurri Kurri Pty Ltd appear relativelyhappy with the trial.

Workers at shipbuilder Tenix's Melbourne plant were on the brink of a walkout earlierthis year over the employer's plans to introduce random breathalyser tests.

Unions are also up in arms over Qantas' plans to bring in random urine testing of its38,000-strong workforce.

At the Kurri Kurri smelter, the trial, which is being monitored by the Australian IndustrialRelations Commission (AIRC), has yet to return any positive results during its first month.

Australian Workers Union (AWU) Newcastle branch president John Keen said the smelter'smanagement had also agreed not to take any action against anyone who returns a positivetest during the trial.

Mr Keen said several mines in the Hunter Valley had similar random testing policiesas part of their occupational health and safety regimes.

During the trial at Kurri Kurri, employees have been issued with self-testing kitsto check their own urine before going to work.

When the company first raised the prospect of random drug and alcohol testing, thethree unions at the site - the AWU, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU)and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) - had asked the company touse saliva testing rather than urine testing.

But Mr Keen said no Australian standard was available for saliva testing so the companyhad begun the trial of urine testing.

At present, outside experts are conducting the tests, but once the trial was over thesmelter's security personnel will do the tests.

Mr Keen said all the smelter's employees, its contractors and any visitors to the sitewould be subject to the random testing.

The three unions will hold a mass meeting on site at 7am tomorrow to report the latestdevelopments to the workforce.

No comment was available from Hydro Aluminium Kurri Kurri Pty Ltd today.

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KEYWORD: SMELTER