PERSONAL E-MAILS PROTECTED IN SPAIN

A Spanish court has overturned the decision of the US multinational NCR to sack a trade unionist because of his use of e-mails for union business. The company, which investigated his computer from its headquarters in Dayton in the USA, found that Alfonso Guijarro had made 1,623 connections between January and September 2000 and dismissed him. Guijarro, who is a member of NCR's European works council, argued that he was entitled to make use of e-mail for union purposes.

When the case came to court the judge decided that the action of the US company had violated the individual's basic rights to individual privacy and to trade union freedom. The court therefore ordered that he should be reinstated.