workers in all sectors have been subjected to an increase in surveillance<\/a>, but for commerce workers in particular, the figures are staggering.<\/p>\r\nAccording to the survey, between 94 and 97 per cent of retail and wholesale workers say they are monitored at work, with the most prevalent forms of monitoring being punch clock or surveillance cameras.<\/p>\r\n
Workers were also asked about exit inspections of employee bags, digital logging, measurement of individual sales, mystery shoppers, pre-employment control, alcohol and drug testing and GPS monitoring.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cWe cannot have a working life where the employees can\u2019t even use the restroom without it being registered by the manager,\u201d said Linda Palmetzhofer, President of Handels.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cBecause even if a measure is legal, you have to ask yourself if it is appropriate. Surveillance technology can be a positive security measure \u2013 if unions and workers are fully involved and consulted in the process.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Despite the fact that in Sweden, the employer must clearly inform what type of monitoring and collection of personal data occurs in the workplace, over 50 per cent of respondents felt their employers had failed to do so. The employer must also provide information about the purpose of monitoring and how it will be used, but 85 per cent of respondents felt they did not know why they were being monitored.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cThis ground-breaking survey by Handels not only shows how widespread and intense surveillance is in the commerce sector, but also highlights the fact that commerce workers aren\u2019t properly informed about the surveillance\u2014often against legal regulations,\u201d said Mathias Bolton, Head of UNI\u2019s Commerce sector.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cAs the research shows, collective bargaining can play a key role to ensure transparency and respect for workers\u2019 rights and privacy.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
As workers all over the world come to terms with the seemingly ubiquitous nature of company monitoring, unions are fighting to ensure that workers\u2019 rights to privacy remain respected.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNI Global Union\u2019s affiliate Handels, representing commerce workers in Sweden, has released a groundbreaking survey which analyses the impact that ever-increasing workplace surveillance has on workers. UNI is calling for surveillance and its impacts to be covered in collective bargaining agreements to ensure that workers have decency and dignity on the job. Throughout the pandemic,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":6145,"template":"","categories":[41],"global-issues":[],"sectors":[11],"cross-sector-groups":[],"workers-rights":[],"regions":[91,84],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-6109","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","sectors-commerce","regions-sweden","regions-uni-europa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Handels survey reveals staggering levels of surveillance in Swedish commerce sector<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n\t \n