Climbdown on police spying on unions


Unions have welcomed a government climbdown on the Investigatory Powers Bill, in response to a Labour Party amendment. A Tory minister conceded changes that will protect unions from police warrants to seize phone records or emails.


Paul Nowak, assistant general secretary of the TUC, said on the Touchstone blog that unions have raised concerns about many of the Bill's measures. But the idea that union activity on an issue could have been enough of a reason to issue a warrant for private data from union records, would send a chill down any union member’s spine.


“It’s very welcome that these proposals have sensibly been dropped," said Nowak.


“We have seen at first hand with union blacklisting how human rights can be abused and lives wrecked when authorities start amassing details on unions and their members.”


http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2016/06/government-drops-law-letting-police-spy-unions