Freedom of expression doesn't make it all right

[venta]

These days, if you mention the words "identity cards" and "human rights' violation" in the same sentence you can be reasonably sure that a good chunk of the UK will froth righteously along with you.

Yesterday, the BBC ran a story on the threat of strike action from Tube workers over plans to introduce workers' identity cards.

Now, I'm coming to the conclusion that the RMT will strike over practically anything at the moment, so it didn't particularly surprise me.

However, I was surprised by this:

The union fears the card would include fingerprint recognition and could be used to discipline staff in disputes about clocking on and clocking off times.

"It is a gross infringement of human rights to use such a card to clock on and we will resist it," he said.

I don't understand. As far as I can tell, that's a perfectly normal clocking on/off system, such as has been in use in thousands of workplaces for decades. Obviously workers will resist - who'd want to hand their boss a foolproof method of demonstrating how often they're ten minutes late for work ? But the RMT's justification for their stance eludes me.

Now, I'm aware that something having been considered "normal" for years doesn't actually mean that it isn't a violation of human rights. But really - can anyone explain to me how such a card scheme would constitute such a violation ? Does wanting to check that your employees are who they say they are, or that they're working the right hours, actually risk infringing their rights ?

Is the RMT just hoping that they can file this issue under the general ID Cards debate, and praying that enough woolly-minded liberal types will back them out of solidarity ?

On a completely irrelevant note, the mother (who is always better informed than I) tells me that a Goth Eucharist is scheduled to take place at Whitby on Sunday. She didn't mention which church, but I assume it'd be St Mary's (ie the one at the top of the steps near the Abbey).

Can anyone tell me what on earth a Goth Eucharist is ? Aside from quick jokes about the transubstantiation of cider and black, what is the difference ? Presumably the implication is that no one will bat an eyelid if you go for communion in a corset, but apart from that... is it anything other than a name to let visitors know they'd be welcome ?

I've been to "folk services" there during Whitby folk week, which usually just means that the music is more folk-orientated than normal. The prospect of a goth service on the same lines makes me quail. Can anyone shed any light ?

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what the union's argument is supposed to be, but I do sometimes get kinda grumpy when employers take a "bums on seats" attitude instead of measuring actual productivity.

[davefish.livejournal.com]

That depends on what they are doing. For creative tasks then productivity is important. Other tasks (lifeguard at a swimming pool for example) need a bum on a seat or in the water in case of emergency.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Indeed, but in that case I'd like to think there was something making sure this was the case besides a biometric card scanner !

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

A bum scanner maybe?

[condign.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, measurement by proxy is normally useful when (a) the cost of measuring the proxy is lower than the cost of measuring the underlying factor; and (b) it's fairly easily assumed that the relationship between the proxy and the underlying factor is significant. In the case of clocking on, that's fairly clear in any situation where individuals work in teams where one person can't function unless another one is there. (The standard example: if an assembly line will run far less efficiently if not fully-manned, then someone showing up late for work slows down all other employees, especially since the process must be started and stopped when they eventually show up.)

True, one could measure each worker's productivity and try to allocate incentives based upon that, but at least for dealing with this particularly problem, clocking on is probably the most profitable method of ensuring output. This is, of course, one reason why members of teams that don't have such dependencies tend to (a) belong to organizations with much looser timekeeping regulations and (b) consist of salaried members.

Anyway, for any hourly employee, fearing that ID cards could be "could be used to discipline staff in disputes about clocking on and clocking off times" seems nonsensical in the extreme. Clocking on and off is used for paying wages, and thus the claim quickly dissolves to "this system could be used to prevent us from committing fraud." How horrible.

[venta.livejournal.com]

For some jobs both are important - if your job is to be there selling tickets at 9am, it doesn't matter how effectively you do it if you don't arrive till half past.

In many jobs it really doesn't matter so long as you get the work done, but for things relating to the movement of trains timing is pretty critical. I don't care how good my tube driver is, I want my tube to go on time!