PSU tells public officers not to participate in the NeoPeople pilot programme

The Public Service Union of Belize (PSU) is instructing public officers not to participate in the Government’s NeoPeople Human Resource Management Information System pilot programme until several legal, privacy and procedural matters are resolved. The pilot is intended to onboard selected public officers onto the new digital human resources system, including the review and updating of employees’ personal information. However, the PSU says the programme was launched without the Union’s consent and while discussions with the Ministry of the Public Service were still ongoing.  In a circular issued today, the Union says it wants employee registration suspended until a legally binding Memorandum of Understanding is finalized. It is also demanding disclosure of the NeoPeople contract, the appointment of a Data Privacy Officer and the release of a completed Data Protection Impact Assessment.  The PSU is further seeking written confirmation that public officers who decline to provide biometric information will not face disciplinary action or any other disadvantage. It argues that employees’ consent must be secured before personal or biometric information is collected.  The Union is also accusing the Ministry of sharing the private email addresses of public officers with NeoPeople without their knowledge or consent. It describes this as a serious privacy breach.  Public officers who receive invitations or onboarding instructions are being advised not to activate their accounts or provide personal or biometric information. They are also being told to preserve the communications and forward copies to the PSU.  The Union says it remains prepared to negotiate with the Ministry through a proposed oversight committee and work towards a binding agreement. There has been no immediate response from the Government to the PSU’s latest circular.//////