Security at Toronto's Pearson International Airport has been repeatedly sacrificed in exchange for the speedy processing of travellers, say privately-employed screening officers.

Security screeners employed with Garda World Security Corp., tell The Globe and Mail that management has threatened to terminate employees who don't process travellers at a quick pace.

Employees said the move has resulted in passengers and luggage getting on flights without being properly screened.

Garda senior vice-president Allan Bentley responded to the accusations saying security "at no time" has been compromised at Canada's largest airport.

However, an internal Garda document obtained by the newspaper claims one passenger failed to be screened at all after slipping through an unmanned security gate.

Officers told The Globe that management was aware of the security breach but failed to follow up on the traveller and ground the aircraft.

Some employees told the newspaper that they are afraid to follow through with proper security procedures for fear of creating delays.

"People are so scared now, because every time they try to do their job, the company [sees] things are slowing down and then they get screwed," one screening officer said.

"That's why they're scared to do their job now, because of the intimidation.''

In addition to Pearson, Garda World Security Corp. currently holds security contracts with 27 other airports.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) awarded Garda the Pearson contract in 2004.

Aviation and security officials at Pearson met last week to discuss security breaches that took place earlier in the month.

During the incidents, baggage scanners failed to detect passengers carrying knives planning to travel on Air India flights.

An elderly couple made it through security with a set of kitchen knives and a potato peeler in their carry-on bag and an eighty-year-old man in a wheelchair slipped by with a small knife in his pocket.

In both cases, Air India staff found the prohibited items at the boarding gate.

A CATSA memo to screeners obtained by The Globe suggests security officers were told to streamline traveller screenings.

"In Canada, throughput runs approximately 120 an hour during peak time," says the memo, addressed to airport screening officers.

"This is far below what is being done in most countries."

Bentley of Garda said the company has never been pressured by CATSA to speed up screening.