This Privacy Policy (‘policy’) has been developed to detail how the NASUWT processes and handles personal data throughout its day-to-day activities.

Information we may collect and how we use it

When you join the NASUWT, we ask you to provide your name, postal address, date of birth, gender, email address and information about your workplace, or in the case of teacher training students, your place of study. We also ask you to voluntarily provide information on your ethnicity, if you have a disability, and your sexual orientation. We also collect bank details for payment purposes.

The NASUWT uses this data for the following purposes:

  • Membership Administration - processing of details to enable membership and to verify an individual’s membership status if requesting any further support or activities.

  • Communicating with Members - we tailor our communications to specific groups or demographics within the Union depending upon its content or purpose.

  • Running of the Union - our staff may use your details with regard to core trade union activities, including, but not limited to, industrial action ballots, democratic procedures of the NASUWT and other union activity.

  • Statistical Analysis and Report - at times we may need to provide reports or statistics relating to our membership and its construction with regard to requested criteria (e.g. geographic dispersion, diversity).

Personal data used to communicate with NASUWT members

The NASUWT will use the contact details you have provided, along with your expressed communication preferences, to provide you with updates relating to the Union, events and services provided by the NASUWT, and to make you aware of approved services and offers from selected third parties. When you contact the NASUWT, we will use the details you provide to verify your membership status and to assist us to best respond to your query.

Your personal data is an important part of our contract with you. The details used throughout the communications between the NASUWT and its members are processed under the Union’s legitimate interest to keep its members informed of the Union’s activity and where we are obliged to communicate with our members.

Personal data used to act on behalf of/in support of NASUWT members

An NASUWT Representative may be assigned to one of our members to act on their behalf, or in support of them, in a dispute situation. When providing such a service, we will ask for additional information which we believe is pertinent to the case and our ability to act properly on your behalf, or advise. Such requested information is likely to include special category and/or highly personal information depending upon the context of the dispute.

Any information collected will be used to best represent or advise you on your case. The NASUWT will protect any information given, ensuring that only necessary staff are given access to it and only revealing it to third parties where we are legally obliged to do so in the case of legal disclosures or if we need to refer it for specialist advice to one of our trusted legal advisers.

Information disclosed to third parties

The NASUWT uses external suppliers to fulfil both electronic and hard copy communications. The level of personal detail given to these third parties will depend upon what is being communicated, but is traditionally limited to a name and the respective contact details (i.e. email address or postal address).

In all such instances, our suppliers are bound by a contract, which specifically outlines how they are to process any personal data given, and they must abide by the NASUWT’s direction.

To collect data from our members on our behalf

The NASUWT, at times, may use third-party organisations to collect data from our members on our behalf. Examples of such occurrences would include conducting surveys or ballots. Prior to entering into any agreement, the NASUWT would ensure that these third parties adequately protect your personal data (both that given by the NASUWT to them and that which members will give to the third party). We will only provide the third party with the necessary contact information to communicate with our members, and only where it is absolutely necessary for us to do so. Your personal data will never be shared by the Union to enable a third party to engage in direct marketing or other communications with you.

To provide NASUWT members with services or support

The NASUWT has partnerships with certain third-party organisations to provide specialist services or products at preferential rates which are in keeping with the Union’s aims but cannot be provided internally. These organisations are only provided with a basic level of personal details which enable them to verify the identity of an NASUWT member if services or products are ever requested from them.

To represent NASUWT members in disputes

While acting on behalf of NASUWT members, we may be legally obliged to provide details relating to the case or dispute to the other party or another third-party authority.

We may also seek special legal advice or support from trusted third parties in order to better represent a member; in doing so, we may have to divulge any or all aspects of a member’s case.

To enable the day-to-day operations of the NASUWT

The NASUWT may also use third-party service providers to host, process or store the systems and services which NASUWT staff use in their day-to-day activities to fulfil the aims and intent of the Union. All of these service providers are assessed to provide assurances that their security and protection of personal data is to the standard expected by the NASUWT.

Transfer of data internationally

The NASUWT operates predominantly within the UK and its Overseas Territories. At times, personal data may be transferred to other EU countries depending upon the location of its members and suppliers.

The NASUWT does not routinely operate or conduct business outside the EU, except where we may use IT services or hosting environments which are physically located outside the EU. Any transfers of data will be managed by the Union in accordance with our legal obligations and to ensure that your data is handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

Cookies

When you use our website and online services, we may obtain information about your general internet usage by using a ‘cookie’ file. Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually change your browser to prevent that.

The NASUWT cannot control the use of cookies by third-party websites, but uses them in the following way:

  • With Google Analytics to estimate our audience size and usage patterns and to tell us whether you have visited the website or used the service previously in order to recognise you when you return to our site; we also record what you have searched for on the website. Get more information on how Google Analytics uses cookies (new window/tab).

  • With Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites that enable the sharing of content. This requires the use of scripts from third-party sites.

  • With YouTube to evaluate audience location and other demographic information. Find out more information about how YouTube uses cookies (new window/tab).

  • With Google Adwords to track which users have clicked on an advert and joined the NASUWT as a member through the online joining process.

You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the setting on your browser which allows you to refuse the setting of cookies. However, if you select this setting, you may be unable to access certain parts of the service or the website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you log in to the service or the website.

Retention of personal data

Our aim is to keep identifiable personal data (i.e. information which can be linked back to a specific individual) only for as long as is necessary to fulfil its intended purpose. 

In general, we will usually retain personal data we may have collected from you for the length of any membership or ongoing engagement we may have with you - or, in the case where we may have provided a specific service, we will retain any details for the course of that service.

Privacy Policy updates

As this policy is designed to reflect the NASUWT’s processing of personal data, it may be necessary at times to update or amend the information provided. Where the changes will have minimal or no impact on the services we provide, we will simply amend this policy and provide an indication of its amendment.

If, however, the changes to this policy are accompanied by modifications to our services, or the changes to this policy will have an impact on how individuals will interact with the NASUWT, we will communicate these updates prior to their effective date.

Your continued use of NASUWT services, and interaction with us as an organisation, will constitute acceptance of any updated policy. If you do not wish to accept any subsequently revised policy, or you have any questions regarding the policy’s content, please contact us via one of the methods within the Contact Details and Queries section below.

Your rights

You have the rights outlined below with regard to our use of your personal data and we will endeavour to fulfil these where possible. However, there may be occasions where conflicting obligations mean we cannot meet your request; for example, where we are legally required to retain records of an event or transaction. In all instances, we will inform you of the outcome of any request.

Your rights as a data subject are:

  • The right to access (also known as a Subject Access Request) - you can ask to access any information held about you by the NASUWT. We have a calendar month from the date of your request to release any relevant information.

  • Right to rectification (or updating of any inaccurate personal data) - where you believe we are using inaccurate or out-of-date information pertaining to you, you have the right to ask us to amend our records to correct these inaccuracies.

  • Right to erasure (or the right to be forgotten) - if you choose to do so, you can request the NASUWT to erase any personal data we have pertaining to you. However, our ability to fulfil such a request will be subject to our legal obligation to maintain records and necessary evidence of events as stipulated by law or a governing authority or where there is sufficient cause which is felt to outweigh an individual's right.

  • Right to object - you can object to us processing your personal data completely or for specific activities (such as certain methods of communicating with you). However, our ability to continue to offer effective services and support may be severely hindered depending on what activities you are objecting to.

The above rights can be requested via one of the means listed below in the Contact Details and Queries section.

While we always aim to meet and fulfil your rights as best we can, if you believe the NASUWT has not met its obligations, you reserve the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s Information Commissioners’ Office (new window/tab), the equivalent authority in your country of residence, or the country in which the processing has taken place (if different).

Contact details and queries

Any questions, comments, requests or other concerns about any of the information listed within this policy, or any other aspect of data protection, should be addressed to:

Via Post:
NASUWT
Hillscourt Education Centre
Rose Hill
Rednal
Birmingham B45 8RS

Via Email: [email protected]

This Policy is periodically updated and was last reviewed in February 2020.

Electronic and Postal Communications - Our Commitment

The NASUWT is committed to sustainability, including minimising the number of communications we print and post and using FSC-approved sources of paper where possible. This also includes converting to paperless conferences and events, using technology such as our website, mobile apps and QR codes.

As part of this effort, we constantly review and update our communications policy to best meet your requirements:

  • Since 2017, our primary means of communication with members has been the fortnightly Update electronic newsletter delivered direct to your inbox.

  • The NASUWT has been offering members exclusive online access to Teaching Today since 2013 and introduced FSC-approved paper in 2009.

  • The Benefits and Services newsletter is issued electronically once a month.

However, due to the highly regulated nature of trade union activity, there are some communications that we are obliged by law to send in hard copy format to comply with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.

Examples of these are ballots that cannot be carried out electronically, ballots for the political fund, elections appertaining to elected National Officer roles and schedules of local meetings. The NASUWT has been challenged about sending only electronic communications in terms of meetings where decisions can be made and is therefore obliged to send such notices via post.

To assist us in our efforts to be environmentally friendly, you can opt to receive some of our communications electronically only or read Teaching Today exclusively online. To change these preferences, please log into e-Membership service.

If you would like assistance to amend your other communications preferences, please email our Membership Team.