Telenor halts the electronic monitoring of employees
The Norwegian Data Inspectorate believes that the Telenor Group has too extensive electronic monitoring of its employees in customer service. Telenor halts the practice effective immediately.
The case concerns Telenor’s use of the Transaction Monitoring Remote (RMT) control system, which means that there are both audio and video recordings made of the work by 400 employees in customer service. According to the trade union, both telephone calls and everything that happens on the employee’s screen is periodically recorded.
The trade unions, EL & IT and LO, on the one hand, and Telenor and Abelia on the other disagrees whether the measure is legal – and requested an assessment by the Norwegian Data Inspectorate. The conclusion is that the surveillance violates the Norwegian email regulations and privacy rules.
Halts the activity
EL & IT followed up by demanding that Telenor discontinue the use of the system effective immediately, a requirement Telenor now adheres too.
– Telenor initiated a request to the Norwegian Data Inspectorate with the purpose of obtaining their assessment of this training activity. We are glad that they have replied to us. We are discontinuing this activity, and look forward to going through the answer from the Norwegian Data Inspectorate. Telenor will, of course, relate to the current laws and regulations, Communications Manager in Telenor, Anders Krokan, explains to NTB.
the news is welcomed among the union representatives.
– This is very good news. The fight against monitoring at work has engaged our members for several years. We are convinced that this victory will improve the working environment and reduce absence when employees are no longer being monitored. It is time to exchange control with trust, says Union Representative for EL & IT in the Telenor Group, Esben Smistad.
Prepared for more cases
The EL & IT federation looks at the assessment of the case as being principal and is prepared to assist in several similar cases in the future.
– The case highlights how important it is for workers in the digital workforce to organize and fight for their rights. We know that electronic control measures are in use in many businesses, and the federation will organize and assist workers in the fight for privacy in the digital workforce in the future, Federal Secretary, Reidunn Wahl, exclaims.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
