- Conference
- 2016 Water, Environment & Transport Service Group
- Date
- 1 March 2016
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Over the past decade, many employers in water, environment and transport have introduced tracking or “Telematics” technology in some form. This technology can track the location and movement of both vehicles and individuals in real-time, providing statistical and geo-locational information. Conference acknowledges that there can be some benefits regarding health and safety when this technology is used in a sensible way on liveried vehicles.
However, Conference has serious concerns about the way in which telematics is used within the service group where, for some employers, it has become routine to pursue disciplinary and performance procedures using this data. This has led to numerous perverse and unintended consequences such as:
a. Employees being disciplined for accelerating a vehicle to avoid a collision.
b. Employees becoming distracted by monitoring telematic information, leading to road traffic accidents.
c. Employers inappropriately accessing private information about the lives of their employees.
Conference believes it is time for WET employers to return to a more sensible approach to this issue.
Conference calls on the WET Executive to:
1. Campaign for an end to telematics information being used as a disciplinary tool.
2. Produce guidance for all WET branches on the use of telematics.
3. Work with Branches across the service group to negotiate for improvements in the way telematics is used.