GMB Seeks Changes To European Law To Outlaw Worker Tagging

The GMB is calling on the EU Commission to legislate to outlaw the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and GPS satellite linked wearable computers to tag and track workers in the workplace.

A recent GMB report has been passed to the EU Commission and to MEPs by the GMB's Brussels office with a call for them to look again at the Data Protection and personnel privacy implications of the use of the RFID technology. See note 1 below.

Table 1 below shows the numbers of employees in Great Britain working in the wholesale and storage sector. The Home Counties surrounding London top the national league for numbers of workers. The top 5 are: Hertfordshire 35,900; Hampshire 34,700; Kent 30,800; Surrey 27,300; Essex 27,000.  Birmingham comes next with 24,000 then Leeds with 23,300.  Lancashire has 22,900.  Northamptonshire has 22,700 and Manchester has 21,000.

Paul Kenny, Acting GMB General Secretary said, "GMB is concerned that the EU appears to be blissfully unaware of the possible uses of RFID and GPS linked wearable computer technology to tag European workers and to seriously invade their right to privacy. Their last effort in January 2005 dealt only with the possible use of the technology with regard to products. It does not address the privacy and personnel tracking issues at all. Europe wide legislation is urgently needed as this tracking technology is already in use in Britain.  No one has been consulted about its introduction and use and workers rights to privacy are being undermined. GMB is now raising the matter directly with the Commission."

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Contact: Kathleen Walker Shaw, GMB European Officer on 07841 181549 or Steve Pryle, GMB Press Officer on 07921 289880.

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Notes to Editors:

1              GMB Report available at http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/PressItems.asp?NodeID=89680

2              Working document of the Working Group 29 relating to RFID technology. Justice, Freedom and Protection.

3              The GMB report and letter have been send to Mrs Barcelo, EU Commission DG Justice, Freedom and Security (Data Protection), Mr. Frederix, EU Commission DG Information Society, Valdimir Spidla EU Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment and Stephen Hughes MEP - GMB Co-cordinator of GMB Group of MEPs and European Parliament Social List Group Spokesperson on Social Affairs.

4              Radio Frequency Identification or RFID is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. The tag consists of a minuscule chip which transmits identification information to a reader which in turn converts the radio waves into digital information that computers can track. The technology is in use in many countries throughout the world. The privacy issues that it raises have scarcely been debated by the public. Each attempt to use the technology to track people has been controversial and some in the end have been dropped - for example the Inclass school uniforms to monitor attendance.

In addition to RFID technology there is also concern about "tagging" workers using wearable computers linked to GPS satellite systems and local radio frequencies. This too should be covered by the legislation

5.  The GMB study is taken from the latest available data from the Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis.

Table 1

Employees in wholesale and storage

                Area                                                                              Number                  %