Canadian Customs Cracking Dow on Goods,
People Entering Country

September 27, 2002
By TOM GODFREY

Some 3,800 Canada Customs officers nationwide will take part in a job slowdown starting this weekend that will affect travellers and goods entering the country at all airports and border crossings.

Customs officers said the job action will mean fewer security checks for arriving passengers and commercial cargo.

"The public will feel some impact," said Ron Moran, national vice-president of the Customs Excise Union. "We believe some security aspects will be compromised."

Moran said his members want their jobs classified to a higher pay level, the same as immigration officers. The move would increase an officer's salary by $2,200 a year

"Enough is enough," he said. "Our members should be on par with immigration officers."'

Officers said during the job action they could refer most air travellers for secondary immigration checks, spend time thoroughly scrutinizing travel documents, perform their duties to the letter or not check cargo entering the country.

He said during a similar job action at Montreal's Dorval airport this week, customs officers referred four planes filled with passengers for immigration checks.

Customs spokesman Collette Gentes-Hawn said an independent review has ruled Customs officers are at the right pay level.

"We expect our staff to conduct the duties they have to do," she said. "Any violation will be treated very seriously."

The union will reveal further details of their job action at 11 a.m. today at the International Plaza Hotel on Dixon Rd.

http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/customs_sep27-sun.html