News from Westminster Labour

Westminster City Council Chief Executive confirms that staff will not be finger printed

In August 2008, Community Protection management installed finger print recognition machines in some Westminster City Council workplaces without consultation. Since then, Westminster UNISON has campaigned against the big brother proposals which are believed to be based on mistrust of staff, and a disproportionate way of keeping records of working time.

Following national media coverage, Westminster UNISON Branch Secretary Phil Vaughan met with Mike More to explain why the union opposed the policy, and that UNISON members would be refusing to provide their finger prints.

Phil Vaughan said:

“I had a very positive meeting with Mike More about the proposals to finger print staff. Although he clearly supported his managers, he was also concerned about the wider impact on employee relations. We are obviously very pleased with this decision, and are now keen to engage with local managers on other ways in which time monitoring can be done without biometric technology.”

In his letter dated 31st October 2008, Mike More said that Community Protection management “will remove the machinery from current locations” and “will not pursue the use of machines in the Community Protection service foreseeable future.”

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, welcomed the decision to remove the finger print machines and commented:

“The installation of finger print machines for their own staff made Westminster Conservatives the laughing stock of the country. No wonder staff/management relations are so awful in ‘big brother’ Westminster with half of staff not trusting their managers, even by the Council’s own surveys.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Westminster Labour welcomes dog micro-chipping plan - 11 March 2010
• Use CCTV cameras to catch criminals first say Westminster Labour - 10 March 2010
• Westminster Conservatives give 'slap in the face' to voluntary groups - 10 March 2010