A Worcestershire firm has been shut down by the Information Commission after investigations revealed they sold workers’ confidential data to over 40 firms.

The data, including workers’ political affiliations, trade union activities and employment history, was mostly bought by construction companies such as Taylor Woodrow, Laing O’Rourke and Balfour Beatty, according to BBC News.

This shocking revelation is totally unlawful and has the potential to lead to bad safety practices, by preventing those with a previous record for challenging health & safety from obtaining new employment. On a construction site, this could have grave consequences.

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of building workers union Ucatt, said: “Take one of the issues that we have in the construction industry: we have just under two people killed every week through bad health and safety practices and if a whistleblower then raises these issues, then obviously he has found his name on this list.

“He has never had the chance to challenge it.

“He has never been able to turn around and say, ‘You are classing me as lazy. How can that be?’”

Yet again our data has been shared without our consent, bought and sold like tins of beans on a supermarket shelf. Barcode Nation challenges the government to commission an immediate far-reaching investigation to see just how far this practice goes. Is it as commonplace in other industries?