WEU Members Take Action Against Digital ID [Pt.3]

The Case Against Mandatory Digital ID [Pt 3]

Privacy, Exclusion, Rights, Power

The government wants to make a national digital ID mandatory, claiming it will simplify everyday life and modernise services. The truth is harsher; this plan puts workers across England at risk of surveillance, exclusion, and loss of control.

The Workers of England Union (WEU) warns that without action, it will fundamentally shift the balance of power away from ordinary people and towards employers and the government. Members need to understand the dangers of Digital ID and act now.

Key areas where digital ID threatens workers:

Privacy under attack

Digital ID systems collect vast amounts of personal information. Work history, service use, and movement could be monitored by employers or authorities. Even systems marketed as “decentralised” can be linked across platforms, creating a surveillance network.

Exclusion made real

Not everyone has smartphones, internet access, or the technical know-how to use these IDs. Low-income workers, older people, and disabled workers risk being blocked from jobs, housing, or essential services. Mandatory digital ID threatens to entrench inequality and leave people behind.

Employment Rights under pressure

Tying employment or service access to a digital ID undermines workers’ protections. Delays, denial of jobs, or intrusive oversight could become routine. Low paid, zero contract workers are particularly vulnerable. Labour rights must not be conditional on digital compliance.

Power concentrated

This system strengthens control for the government and employers at the expense of workers. Employment, housing, and services could increasingly depend on compliance with digital rules, normalising monitoring and oversight in daily life.

The WEU is calling on every member to join our campaign. This is not about convenience; it is about defending freedom, fairness, and equality. The WEU will continue to ‘Speak out’, please stay informed, and join the campaign to stop mandatory digital ID before it becomes enforced on us all and entrenched into our lives.

Together, workers across England can protect their privacy, safeguard access, and defend their rights. The WEU needs our member’s support.