UNION ATTACKS AIR NEW ZEALAND DRUG TEST PLAN

Drug and alcohol testing of workers was intrusive, embarrassing and
humiliating and produced questionable information about a worker's
impairment, a union chief told a court today.

Air New Zealand's controversial plan to test its 10,000 workers for drugs
and alcohol is being legally challenged in the Employment Court in Auckland.

Today, the union representing a quarter of the Air NZ workers said in most
cases of impairment from drugs or alcohol, there would be observable
behaviours and external signs.

Andrew Little, national secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering, Printing
and Manufacturing Union, said the union's objection to the plan was not
made lightly and the union acknowledged airline's obligations to provide a
safe work place.

The union also shared the airline's interest in maintaining the health and
safety of their workmates and the public.

However, he said after 11 years of dealing with employment matters he had
identified seven potential causes of cognitive impairment.

They included mental or physical fatigue; being under the influence of
alcohol or legal or illegal drugs; stress, depression or other psychiatric
illnesses; migraine headaches; dehydration or malnourishment; and
conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes.

He said managers should be trained to recognise observable behaviours and
external signs of drug and alcohol impairment and the risks they posed.

The union had two objections to the proposed testing programme.

First, it was intrusive, embarrassing and humiliating. Second, drug testing
by urine sample could not measure or give the employer an indication of
whether the employee was impaired when or before the test was taken.

"Given the questionable value of the information gained, we simply do not
believe it is justified," Mr Little told the hearing.

The hearing before a full bench of three Employment Court judges, was
expected to last all week.