BA defends staff swipe card system

British Airways has responded to criticism of its new swipe card system for staff saying the technology is purely replacing an inefficient paper-based system.

The cash-strapped airline has been working on cutting costs and implementing technology that will directly impact on the bottom line, and achieved £50m savings as part of an IT review implemented after the terrorist attacks in the US.

BA introduced the swipe card system at Heathrow earlier this week following the wildcat strike by staff last weekend but talks aimed at resolving staff concerns with unions remain deadlocked.

Paul Parry, spokesman for BA, told silicon.com the electronic clocking in and out system is part of the airline's modernisation programme.

He said: "In a nutshell, like any business that employs thousands of people, often working in shifts we're just trying to accurately record and manage who's at work. It's all about modernising the way we work."

Around 2,000 ground handling staff at Heathrow have been using the swipe cards for three years and the current row relates to plans to extend it to 2,500 customer service and operations staff and management at both Heathrow and Gatwick.

Parry said the swipe card system will replace inefficient paper-based processes and help compliance with new employment laws.

"It will capture data that we capture already through the pen and paper system i.e. your hours and who you are. But it will also capture some additional data that will help us to comply with things like health and safety requirements and the new working time directive that are coming out of Europe," he said.

BA staff all currently have ID cards and the new technology just requires them to swipe these at clocking in machines at the start and end of shifts. Although the airline went live with the swipe cards this week it is not yet making it mandatory for the Heathrow staff to use it. Parry said a decision will be taken on when to enforce it based on any progress made in discussions with staff and unions.

He said: "Things are so fragile we are not going down that road just now."

Simon Perry, VP security strategy at Computer Associates, which has just launched staff monitoring technology told silicon.com earlier this week that companies and the technology industry need to work harder at educating people about the positive effects of these kind of measures.