1:32pm Thursday 10th May 2007
By Jonathan Bunn
COUNCIL workers will be spied on by consultants using hidden cameras.
An email leaked to the Guardian revealed that town hall bosses have decided to send "mystery shoppers" carrying concealed recording equipment into libraries to monitor staff performance.
Staff representatives say the policy will further increase anxiety in a severely over-stretched workforce.
The email reveals Foresight Consulting Ltd has been hired to carry out the work, which will involve up to 20 visits a month to each library at a cost described as "well within" the £15,000 allocated budget.
Union Unison has criticised the "cloak and dagger" tactic and has not ruled out industrial action.
The union says the use of costly clandestine surveillance is questionable in a climate of cuts to services and demonstrates a lack of confidence in workers.
Unison library convenor Nancy Taafe, who works at the newly renovated Walthamstow Library, said staff already feel undermined and questioned why money is being spent in this way when the service is suffering from a lack of resources.
She said: "If someone rings up and we have to check for a particular book, there are so few us that it can be dangerous to leave a colleague on their own with members of the public.
"Because of the library design, two members of staff are squashed in to a small counter looking after 40 computers and book inquiries.
"We have written letters to management saying this is causing anti-social behaviour because of frustration among the public.
"There is a history in the library service of employing consultants who come in and make changes that are a complete disaster and then take the money and run.
"We have been told there is no money for staff as it has all been spent on the building."
Unison branch secretary Dave Knight said the union is concerned about the way the service is being developed, as well as staff's right to privacy at work.
He said: "There is a concern that they would spend the money on checking on their own workers in this way with the use of such tactics."
WALTHAM Forest Council is standing by its decision to secretly film staff.
A spokesman said: "This is part of an ongoing process of researching customer access across the council to see how we can improve our services to residents.
"Foresight Consulting is a reputable, highly professional organisation, which complies with Data Protection legislation and exceeds the guidelines laid out by the Market Research Society with regards to using video recording in mystery shopping surveys.
"The council began consulting staff and unions on its proposals at a very early stage and is keen to work closely with them to ensure any concerns can be addressed satisfactorily.
"However, this is a recognised form of market research that has been carried out by a large number of private companies and councils in Britain, and the overriding aim of this exercise is to support staff to deliver better quality services for our residents."
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