Privacy Policy

Branch K041 Open Letter

This policy explains what personal data the K041 Open Letter platform collects when you sign, why we process it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We collect only the minimum needed to run the open letter — nothing more.

What we collect

• First and last name
• Email address — used only to send you a confirmation link, and later an erasure link
• Contract type (Legacy / 2nd Gen / Clerical / Agency)
• Shift (Earlies / Middles / Nights / Mixed)
• Whether you are a union member, a non-member employee, or an agency worker (trade-union membership is special-category data — see legal basis below)
• An optional comment, only if you choose to leave one (shared only with the Committee)
• Your consent choices and the time you gave them
• A one-way hash of your IP address (we never store your raw IP)
• Your browser's user-agent string and chosen language

What we do NOT collect

• Payroll numbers
• Union membership numbers
• Home address, phone number, or date of birth
• Cookies for tracking, analytics, or advertising

Purpose and legal basis

We process your data solely to compile the open letter and deliver the signed list to the Branch K041 Committee and the Usdaw General Secretary's office.

Our legal basis is your explicit consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). Because signing may reveal information connected to trade-union involvement, we also rely on your explicit consent for special-category data (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(a)). You give this consent by ticking the boxes on the form, and you can withdraw it at any time — which deletes your signature.

How verification works

After you submit the form we email you a confirmation link. Your signature only counts once you click it (double opt-in). We also store a one-way hash of your email so the same address cannot sign twice; that hash cannot be reversed back into your email address.

How long we keep it

• Your email (encrypted): deleted within 90 days of your signature being recorded.
• The one-way email hash: kept for the life of the site, only to prevent duplicate signatures.
• Name, contract, shift, membership status and any comment: kept until the site is sunset (within 12 months of the deadline).

Who sees it

• The public list shows only your first name, last initial and shift (e.g. "Robert M., 054 Nights") — and only if you ticked the public-display box.
• Your full name is included in the final list delivered to the Branch K041 Committee and the Usdaw General Secretary's office.
• No advertisers, no analytics providers, no other third parties.

Where your data is stored

Data is held on servers in the European Union (Warsaw, Poland) and processed under UK GDPR. The UK Government recognises the EU as providing an adequate level of data protection, so your data stays within jurisdictions with equivalent safeguards.

Cookies

We use no tracking, analytics or advertising cookies. A single strictly-necessary session cookie is used only for the private admin area; it is not set for visitors who sign.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• access the data we hold about you;
• have inaccurate data corrected;
• have your data erased ("right to be forgotten");
• restrict or object to our processing;
• receive your data in a portable format;
• withdraw your consent at any time.

The quickest way to erase your signature is the data-rights page. For any other request, use the contact below — we will respond within one month.

Complaints

If you believe we have mishandled your data, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk — though we'd appreciate the chance to put things right first.

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Data controller: Robert Maszkiewski. Contact: admin@youareunion.co.uk. Independent member initiative — not affiliated with the Branch Committee or Usdaw national office. Effective date: 23 May 2026. Last updated: 23 May 2026.

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