Labour Court recommends four Abbey Theatre union members use biometric time system

The Labour Court recommended that Building and Allied Trades Union members comply with the Abbey Theatre’s biometric time-and-attendance system. The recommendation was signed on 13 June 2007. The dispute concerned four union members who refused to use the system. It used a fingertip reader that converted a fingerprint into an encrypted algorithm, followed by a PIN. The union argued that the system could affect workers’ rights and that consent was important. The Abbey Theatre said fingerprints could not be stored or retrieved and that the system complied with data protection legislation. The Court noted the safeguards, regarded use of the system as normal ongoing change and recommended that the union’s members comply.