News

Schools accused of using GDPR as an excuse to stifle union activities

Some schools are misusing the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to deny teachers fair trade union representation, it has been claimed.

The NASUWT has accused some employers of using the GDPR, which came into effect in May, to deny trade unions access to legitimate information on matters such as redundancy and equal pay.

The union took its complaint to the TUC Congress in Manchester last week. It has called on the TUC to press the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to issue statutory guidance to employers to tackle the problem.

The TUC conference voted in favour of a motion presented to delegates by NASUWT general secretary, Chris Keates. It called for the ICO to issue “clear and unequivocal guidance to protect the rights of trade unions to be provided with information in order to represent and advocate for their members”.

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