Telstra union says GPS in trucks "unacceptable threat to privacy"

Stuart Corner
Friday, 03 November 2006 05:32

IT Industry - Deals

Telstra's largest union, the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has claimed that the installation of GPS systems linked to field workforce management tools pose an unacceptable threat to employee privacy.

The CEPU has called for a halt to installations of the equipment until clear guidelines about its use can be agreed on. It has also advised its members not to consent to having these devices placed in their vehicles.

One of the achievements Telstra bragged about during its October 6 Investor Day was how it had increased the efficiency of its 7000 strong field technician workforce by equipping vehicles with GPS and field force automation systems. It is also offering the same system, from US company @road, to its customers.

@Road, announced last month that Telstra is to resell its GeoManager field workforce management system, as a hosted service. The product is designed to help businesses improve customer service through GPS-based technology, wireless communications, messaging and automated workflow.

CEPU Communications Division president, Colin Cooper, said that he believed that Telstra would be in breach of some state legislation if it went ahead with the surveillance without employee consent. "The states don't have consistent laws about this kind of monitoring," Cooper said, "but we believe that in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, tracking devices like this can't be installed without an employee's consent. That's now being withheld because most employees don't trust the company not to use the system against them."

Cooper said that although Telstra claimed the GPS system was designed chiefly to assist work management processes, employees feared that it would be used for unreasonable and intrusive surveillance, including keeping track of employee movements after hours.

"There needs to be agreement about proper safeguards to protect privacy," Mr. Cooper said, "and to ensure that the system doesn't lead new forms of management bullying. And there are also possible occupational health and safety issues to be resolved."

Cooper said that a further concern was the security of data that was gathered by the GPS system. "We understand that with this system, all data collected flows back to the US in the first instance. We want to know what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of Telstra employees and customers."