NORTHERN Electric is to subject thousands of its workers to drug and alcohol tests.

The company plans to introduce random screening for all its workforce, including shop staff, next year.

Subject to union negotiations, it will become one of the region's biggest employers to carry out such random checks.

Northern Electric workers will be required to provide urine samples for analysis by an independent lab.

The samples will be screened for traces of a wide range of drugs and alcohol.

Anyone caught with illegal narcotics in their blood stream or high levels of booze will be called before the company's chief medical officer.

Although counselling and help is likely to be offered, the company is not ruling out disciplinary action against drug abusers.

In a letter sent to all Northern Electric's 3,500 workers, Dave Crompton, managing director, said the initiative was "part of our overall approach to the management of health and safety in the workplace".

Union officials have been consulted about the plan and discussions are continuing.

However, Dorothy Tokat, of the union Unison, said some staff had reservations.

"I think there are a number of issues that still have to be resolved before this can go ahead," she said.

"Perhaps understandably, staff have concerns about the confidentiality of information and the right to look so deeply into their private lives."

Nationally, BT and the nuclear industry already carry out random checks and the policy is widespread in America.

Northern Electric is owned by an American parent company, Cal Energy, which already tests its US employees.

Company spokesman Andrew Horne said the new initiative brought its UK operation into line.

"Employees under the influence of drink or drugs could endanger themselves and other people," he said.

"We would be horrified to find someone who fixes high voltage cables had a drink or drugs problem."

He stressed every tier of management would be subjected to testing as well as workers.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.