Identity cards are to be introduced to construction sites in a measure to stamp out illegal workers. The government plan will be piloted on two sites in central London and the South East in early 2004.
The card will be incorporated into the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards via an embedded radio frequency chip. This carries information on whether a foreign worker is entitled to employment in the UK.

CSCS chair Tony Merricks says: 鈥淭he information required by the Home Office to ensure that a person is legally entitled to employment will be encrypted onto the CSCS card. It can be put into a reading machine on the site to make sure the worker is legal. It is another reason for employers to make sure their workers get CSCS cards. We know illegal workers work in construction and this will go a long way to isolate the problem. It will be used to inform the people responsible for enforcement.鈥�

The pilot scheme will last for three to six months before a decision is made by government on whether to extend it.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor