Council Under Fire Over Secret CCTV Recordings
Dudley Council is facing mounting pressure from trade union UNISON to reveal the full details of an investigation into alleged CCTV snooping on staff members. The controversy centres around 13 council cameras that were secretly recording audio alongside video footage for an entire year.
The recording equipment at a council site captured both sound and images between March 2024 and March 2025, with the audio capability believed to be the result of a technical defect or error. However, the situation escalated dramatically when a manager allegedly began using these recorded conversations against employees by January 2025.
Union Condemns Council's "Destroyed Trust"
UNISON spokesperson Paul Quigley expressed the union's profound concerns about the council's handling of the matter. "Both in the breach itself, but also in the continuing failure to be honest with those affected, the council's response has destroyed any trust employees might have had," Quigley stated.
The trade union first raised data protection concerns in June 2025 after workers reported the issue internally. Despite council claims of transparency, UNISON maintains that affected staff have yet to receive any official explanations about the privacy invasion.
Political Support for Transparency Demands
Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Tromans has strongly backed the union's call for openness, describing the entire situation as a "shabby affair." He emphasised that "the council needs to come clean about the extent of the data breach and, as a start, apologise to those who have had their privacy invaded."
Councillor Wayne Little, Dudley's cabinet member for children's services, acknowledged the concerns while noting they originated from "a small number of employees." The council has engaged an independent investigator to examine the allegations, with sources indicating the inquiry should conclude in December.
UNISON is now calling for a comprehensive review of all CCTV systems across Dudley Council workplaces, expressing concerns that if such malpractice could continue undetected in one department, it raises serious questions about oversight throughout the entire organisation.
