WASHINGTON, Dec 30: The US government has backpedalled on a plan to toughen standards for its airport screeners, now saying it will allow thousands of unskilled airport workers who have not completed high school to initially keep their jobs.

Under an broad plan to tighten airport security, screeners were to have been replaced with better-paid, professional workers.

But according to US media reports on Sunday, the US Department of Transportation has now decided not to insist that the workers possess a high school — a requirement that would have disqualified one-fourth of the 28,000 people currently manning airport X-ray machines and other frontline security staff.

The newly-created Transportation Security Administration — the government agency which will oversee airport screening beginning in February — now says that it will accept a year of any similar work experience in lieu of a high school diploma, the New York Times reported.

The move by the government to soften the requirement has drawn criticism from some in the travel field, however.

“These screeners are going to be an important line of defence, and it seems to me that we should have higher education standards for them,” said James Hall, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, speaking to the New York Times in an article appearing on Sunday.

The daily reported that the government hoping to minimize turnover in an industry known to have difficulties keeping workers.

Bush signed legislation in November mandating a complete overhaul and upgrade of the security system at US airlines — tightening security checkpoints, screening checked and carry-on bags, adding bomb-detection equipment, and well as replacing private security screeners with federal employees by the end of 2002.

Officials said the tougher standards now will apply only to newly-hired screeners initially.

Beginning in Nov 2002, existing screeners will be allowed to reapply for their jobs and will have to conform to the new rules, including those requiring high school diplomas.

Officials reportedly are also seeking ways to soften a requirement that frontline screeners be US citizens, a move which has drawn fire from immigrant advocacy groups.—AFP