On the day that the Government announced it is to start giving ID cards to all those that want one in the Greater manchester area, but that pilots and other airside workers at Manchester Airport will have to apply for the card, or lose their jobs, the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) stepped up its campaign against the national ID card - and in particular its compulsory nature.

'It is demonstrably unfair that the people of Manchester can choose whether or not they want the card while pilots and other airside workers are being forced to have one if they want to keep their jobs,' said BALPA General Secretary Jim McAuslan.

'Parliament was told by the Government that the scheme would be voluntary. But pilots are told that if they have no ID card they will not be allowed airside and if they cannot get airside they cannot fly, and they lose their jobs. This is intolerable.

'We will resist this with every lawful means at our disposal. This could include taking legal action while fighting this in Parliament and seeking the support of the travelling public.'

The Government has said that all pilots and airside workers will be required to hold the ID card, and the next airport to be targeted will be London City Airport.

'This is monstrous,' Jim McAuslan said. 'What the Government seems to be doing is picking off groups one by one. If the government has £5 billion to spare we can think of a long list of other priorities where it should focus"

He said that in a recent survey of BALPA members for every pilot in favour of the national ID scheme there were six against.