Pilots refuse to participate in experimental ID program

www.guardian.co.uk...

It's about time somebody did something to oppose the idiocy going on in the British government

Pilots refuse to take part in national identity card trials

 

Alan Travis, home affairs editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 4 May 2009 22.21 BST

 

Airline pilots are to become the first group to refuse to take part in the national identity scheme when compulsory trials start at Manchester and London City airports this autumn.

The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa ), which represents more than 80% of commercial airline pilots, is to mount a legal challenge to Home Office plans to use "critical" airside workers as the first compulsory "guinea pigs" for the scheme.

MPs are shortly to be asked to approve the powers to compel the pilots and other airside workers at the two airports to register for the national ID card scheme as part of their "pre-employment" checks. The £30 fee is to be waived as an incentive for them to sign up.

The pilots' union has protested to ministers that the £18m scheme cannot be regarded as voluntary when they are being told they will not qualify for an "airside pass" without them: "ID cards will have absolutely no value as far as security is concerned. This is nothing other than coercion and promises that ID cards would be voluntary have been broken," Jim McAuslan, Balpa general secretary, has told ministers. "We will resist."

These behind the scenes preparations and the recent signing of two 10-year contracts worth £650m to get the ID cards programme under way undermine recent speculation that the cabinet is considering axing the scheme as part of the general Whitehall spending squeeze. The speculation took off when a suggestion by David Blunkett, the former home secretary, that the ID card programme should be repackaged as a biometric passport scheme to reassure the public was misintepreted as him turning against the idea.

But the details of the two contracts awarded in the last few weeks show just how far the ID cards scheme has become embedded in the introduction of "biometric" passports. For 80% of British citizens their identity card will be their passport.

The Home Office describes the two contracts as "bringing the largescale deployment of ID cards a step closer". The first contract, worth £385m and awarded to a US computer company, CSC, will cover processing applications for passports and ID cards and dealing with any subsequent changes in personal details . The second contract, awarded to IBM, and worth £265m, is to build and run the database that will store the digital fingerprints and facial images for the ID scheme and the new generation of passports.

The decision to combine what the Home Office calls the core elements of the ID cards programme and the modernisation of the passports means it will be difficult for any incoming government after the general election to cancel the ID scheme separately.

Two further contracts will be awarded this year for the design and production of identity cards and the next generation of passports to be introduced from 2011.

Star and Flag!

Much respect to those airline pilots for actually standing up for what they believe in, instead of just rolling over and taking whatever is thrown at them!

They are also bringing attention to this ID topic... Hopefully there will be enough support, of people who oppose the idea!

1984- They are indeed REALLY behind schedule.

The NWO spent years planning and scheming to conquer the world but it looks like they will be in a rude shock as their grandiose plans on pen and paper doesn't/ will never reflect the reality on the ground.

The longer they wait, the farther the dream of their Elite fathers and mothers slips from their hand.

The pressure to succeed is so great, the timetable so tight, they will be pulling out all the stops in the next few years.

IMO, it's too late for them.

They're like the plane that will crash into the cliff instead of flying over it.

Oh no!
Not another contract for the Nazi IBM surveillance biochip jerkoffs.
When the PTB have this scam in place, and people start 'losing' ID cards, or getting them stolen, what will the next step be?
Hmmmm! I KNOW, let's get them implanted as a chip in our arms, or better still, tatooed on our foreheads, then noone can steal them, unless they cut off our arms, or cut out a patch off our fore heads after they've knocked us out.
But noone would EVER do that would they?
Should be a major boost in profits for the prosthetic limbs, and reconstructive surgery industry.

Then again, I am prone to bouts of paranoia.

Then again, I'm usually right.

Hmmm????

BALPA represents more than 80% of all Airline Pilots????

Ermmm....ever heard of ALPA???? The Airline Pilots Association (of which I am a member....)

'BALPA' is affiliated with ALPA. ALPA came first.

I think this is a 'tempest in a teapot', actually.

The reason, to me, for a Professonal Pilot to refuse this programme is, simply, a matter of dignity!!!!

It has nothing to do with 'security'...I mean, really??? If you do not trust the pilots, then WHO DO you trust???

Pilots are career-oriented. THEY will not be, suddenly, a "terrorist". The various people who come and go, as ground support staff....THEY should be vetted very carefully!!!!

It is insulting to group pilots into the mix, as IF they cannot be trusted!!!

No wonder they are fighting this!!!! Pure insult!!!!!

deleted because of a double-post.

This doesn't happen often...maybe I hit the 'enter' key twice?

[edit on 5/7/0909 by weedwhacker]

Originally posted by weedwhacker
Hmmm????

BALPA represents more than 80% of all Airline Pilots????

Ermmm....ever heard of ALPA???? The Airline Pilots Association (of which I am a member....)

'BALPA' is affiliated with ALPA. ALPA came first.

I think this is a 'tempest in a teapot', actually.

The reason, to me, for a Professonal Pilot to refuse this programme is, simply, a matter of dignity!!!!

It has nothing to do with 'security'...I mean, really??? If you do not trust the pilots, then WHO DO you trust???

Pilots are career-oriented. THEY will not be, suddenly, a "terrorist". The various people who come and go, as ground support staff....THEY should be vetted very carefully!!!!

It is insulting to group pilots into the mix, as IF they cannot be trusted!!!

No wonder they are fighting this!!!! Pure insult!!!!!

I think you will find its the British Airline pilots Association as this is a uk issue...which the vast majority of pilots in the UK are members ...so 80% is probably right.

reply to post by sueloujo


Look....the point is, we want an ID Badge that cannot be created on a home computer!!!

A Credit Card, at least, has a hologram embedded. Country's currency have various means built in to prevent duplication and counterfeiting.

The issue here is about dignity, as I've already stated.

A Pilot's Company ID should be different than some other's Comapny ID!!!

However, this would lead to confusion, as EACH Company should be recognized....it is, better said, that the 'distribution' of Company IDs should be controlled. A pilot's could be encoded, with modern technology, to support his/her status as a trusted individual.

A bloke hired yesterday, with an 'all-access' badge for AOA (American for All Operations Access...or, 'Airport Operations Area'....pick an acronym...)
...this 'bloke' is not on the same level as a Pilot....sorry!

reply to post by weedwhacker


I was referring to the first half of your post....and "the point" is that the majority of pilots have refused ID cards. And good for them!

I dont think they propose spending billions on home made ID cards either.

[edit on 7-5-2009 by sueloujo]