Preface

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Preface
Employers collect personal data on job applicants and workers for a number of
purposes: to comply with law; to assist in selection for employment, training and
promotion; to ensure personal safety, personal security, quality control, customer service
and the protection of property. New ways of collecting and processing data entail some
new risks for workers. While various national laws and international standards have
established binding procedures for the processing of personal data, there is a need to
develop data protection provisions which specifically address the use of workers’
personal data.
The purpose of this code of practice is to provide guidance on the protection of
workers’ personal data. As an ILO code of practice, it has no binding force, but rather
makes recommendations. The code does not replace national laws, regulations,
international labour standards or other accepted standards. It can be used in the
development of legislation, regulations, collective agreements, work rules, policies and
practical measures at enterprise level.
This code of practice was adopted by a Meeting of Experts on Workers’ Privacy of
the ILO. The meeting was convened in Geneva from 1 to 7 October 1996 in accordance
with the decision taken by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 264th Session
(November 1995).1 The meeting was composed of 24 experts, eight of whom where
appointed following consultations with government, and eight each following
consultations with the Employers’ and Workers’ Groups of the Governing Body.2
1 The meeting examined a draft code of practice on the protection of workers’ personal data
(document MEWP/1995/1). The agenda of the meeting also included recommendations for future ILO
action, including consideration of the possibility of adopting international labour standards in this field.
The report of the meeting (document MEWP/1996/5) contains the summary of discussion, the text of the
code of practice adopted by the meeting and recommendations made by the experts for future ILO action
on the subject.
2 Experts appointed following consultations with governments:
Mr. A. Bhattacharya, Director, Ministry of Labour, Government of India, New Delhi (India);
Professor M. H. Cheadle , Adviser, Ministry of Labour, Johannesburg ( South Africa);
Ms. S. J. De Vries, Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, The Hague (Netherlands);
Mr. G. Dutra Gimenez , National Director of Employment, M inisterio de Trabajo, Montevideo (Uruguay);
Ms. K. Leigh, Senior Government Counsel, International Civil and Privacy Branch, Civil Law Division,
Attorney-General’s Department, Barton (Australia);
Ms. A. Neill, Senior Counsel/Director, Department of Justice Canada, Ottawa (Canada);
Mr. O. Vidnes, Deputy Director-General, Royal Ministry of Local Government and Labour, Oslo
(Norway);
Mr. H. P. Viethen, Head, Section for Employment Relationships Law, Federal Ministry of Labour and
Social Affairs, Bonn (Germany).
Experts appointed following consultations with the Employers’ group:
Mr. J. Fuller, Senior Labour Counsel, US Council for International Business, Illinois (United States);
Ms. A. Knowles, Deputy Chief Executive, New Zealand Employers’ Federation Inc., Wellington (New
Zealand);
Ms. A. Mackie, Consultant, Confederation of British Industry, London (United Kingdom);
Mr. G. Muir, Manager, Industrial Relations, do Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Melbourne (Australia);
Mr. S. K. Nanda, Secretary-General, Employers’ Federation of India, Bombay (India);
Mr. J. M. Szambelanczyk, Expert, Confederation of Polish Employers, Poznan (Poland);

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