Tracked Workers Outraged Over RFID Tagging (Baseline)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Robert Daffin <rsd3414 () ACRretail com>
Date: August 10, 2005 12:47:38 PM EDT
To: 'David Farber' <dave () farber net>
Subject: Tracked Workers Outraged Over RFID Tagging (Baseline)


This is an interesting angle on RFID I had not considered.

<snip>

August 4, 2005
By Tom Steinert-Threlkeld

The 700,000-member General, Municipal, Boiler makers and Allied Trade  
Union
is demanding the European Commission outlaw radio tags in ware  
houses. Not
on merchandise, but on workers.

They fear that identification tags and computing devices they're  
asked to
use to move goods for such big British retailers as Tesco, Marks &  
Spencer,
Sainsbury, Boots and Homebase will turn them into "factory robots,"
according to London's Guardian newspaper.

The fear?

The stated fear is they'll be tracked every time they take a break or  
head
for the rest room. The unstated fear: Every movement becomes trackable.
Employers, using the information gathered by ever-present radio  
waves, could
see which warehouse worker really is most efficient and prioritize  
hiring,
firing and overtime accordingly.

<snip>

http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,1540,1844663,00.asp


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