A MAJOR industrial relations row has broken out at the National Gallery in Dublin after a secret camera was installed in a staff locker area.

The camera was found three months after it was first covertly installed, disguised as a motion sensor in a wall.

The hidden device was found when one member of staff investigated the sensor and traced wiring from it back to a video recorder.

Staff members have now sought a meeting with management, and have asked for the Data Protection Commissioner to be officially informed of what they believe is a breach of their rights.

Management at the gallery have said that wine had been going missing from official functions at the gallery.

It is understood that negotiations over a resolution are at a "sensitive" stage with management conceding the camera was not placed properly.

"The law in this area is very clear and the general rule in data protection is that you must inform people when gathering information and for what purpose," said TJ McIntyre, a civil liberties expert and law lecturer at UCD.

"In relation to CCTV in particular in the workplace, covert CCTV is only ever acceptable in the context of a specific garda investigation. If you are going to use this type of technology, it has to be in the context of a very particular investigation into a particular matter where the gardaí would be involved," he said.

A source at the National Gallery said the camera had been placed in a maintenance attendants' area and was facing onto staff lockers.

"It is not acceptable to be spied on like this: a lot of people here are worried now that there are more hidden cameras and that they are being monitored throughout the day as they go about their jobs," the source said.

The Data Protection Commissioner has been clear on the subject of covert CCTV surveillance in the past and in one finding relating to a Dublin hotel said it was "generally unlawful".

Industrial relations at the gallery have been at a low ebb since the unauthorised hanging of portraits of Taoiseach Brian Cowen, first revealed in the Sunday Tribune a year ago.

Attendants are also forced to use high-tech biometric scanners and a swipe card system as well as a traditional clocking-in machine.

A statement from the National Gallery said: "You will appreciate that the gallery employs cameras throughout its complex with a view to safeguarding the gallery's collection, assets, staff and visitors. The gallery does not employ cameras in any areas which would intrude on the privacy of staff members or visitors."