Privacy

When you provide us with personal information (e.g. to become a member via this website), we undertake to process this data in accordance with the laws on the protection of privacy and the rules established by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  

Data relating to trade union membership is considered 'sensitive' by that legislation. As a result, under no circumstances will we pass on such data to third parties, such as employers, political parties or movements, other associations of any kind, marketing services, etc. All our staff have undertaken a commitment of discretion regarding the use of such data. We are transparent about the data we collect. We pay a lot of attention to our computer system’s security. 

The purpose of this statement is to inform you about how ACV-CSC processes your personal data and about your rights in this regard. It applies to the members of ACV-CSC and any person whose personal data ACV-CSC processes within the meaning of the GDPR. 

This privacy statement is subject to change from time to time. The current version was updated on 8 December 2020.  

1. Who processes your data? 
2. What personal data is processed?  
3. When do we process your personal data?
4. Why do we process your personal data? 
5. What are the legal bases for processing your personal data? 
6. Who has access to your personal data and to whom can it be disclosed?
7. How long do we store your personal data?
8. What are your rights?
9. How can you exercise your rights and contact us?  

1. Who processes your data?

Your personal data is processed by: 

• Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (ACV-CSC), Haachtsesteenweg 579, 1030 Schaarbeek;
  and/or 
  
• the trade federation to which you are affiliated on the basis of the company or industry in which you are employed. The trade federation is the sub-organisation of ACV-CSC (ACV Puls, ACV BIE, etc.) that looks after your interests with your employer and in the industry you are employed.  

You can contact us by email gdpr@acv-csc.be or by post at the following address:  

ACV-CSC  
F.A.O. Koen Meesters, National Secretary 
Haachtsesteenweg 579 
1030 Schaarbeek 

2. What personal data is processed?

This may be personal data that you provide voluntarily or that we receive through third parties (e.g. social institutions related to the payment of unemployment benefits). 

• Your identification details: your surname, first name, place of residence, date of birth, email address, telephone and/or mobile phone number, membership number, etc.;
• Other additional personal information: your nationality, official and communication language, marital status, age, gender, etc.; 
• Your national registration number, when it is necessary to make an application to public institutions or to consult data from the social security institutions' network;
• Your bank account number and other financial data (income, pensions, other benefits, etc.);
• Your family composition, periods of partial and temporary unemployment during your career, details of your studies and training, etc.;
• Data about your current job and past jobs;
• Information about your membership: association and trade federation with which you are affiliated, previous membership, payment of membership fees, premiums, benefits and various allowances;
• Data in relation to legal support, in particular your legal and medical data; 
• Data on the reason, the date and the way we communicated with each other;
• Data on the management of your subscriptions (ACV-CSC publications);
• Data on the trade union commitment of our representatives (e.g. if you are a candidate in the social elections, or a member of the Works Council, the Health and Safety Committee or trade union delegation);
• Audiovisual data from our surveillance cameras;
• Data about your browsing habits on our website and data we receive via cookies or other technology that provides information about e.g. your preferences or collects statistical data. For more information on this data, please read our cookie policy;
• Data concerning the online My ACV-CSC and/or the Activist section (e.g. your username and password, if any, when you log in via this channel).  

3. When do we process your personal data?

We collect your personal data among other things when: 

• You become a member of ACV-CSC; 
• You visit a service centre, and seek legal or other services;
• You fill in forms or surveys;
• You subscribe to our newsletters, take part in our activities and campaigns, etc.;
• You participate in training or a webinar;
• You contact us through the various channels available to you;
• Data is sent through authorised third parties;
• You are filmed by our security cameras in and around our buildings;
• You communicate data when using our website (including on our social network pages);
• You visit our website, via cookies and other similar technology;
• In order to fulfil our obligations as a paying agent, we also process data that we consult in or receive from the National Register or the registers of the Crossroads Bank. 

4. Why do we process your personal data? 

ACV-CSC needs certain personal data in order to defend your interests as a member and provide you with a quality service. In this context, we process your personal data for the following purposes: 

A. Providing services and benefits related to your membership 

• To identify you;
• To manage membership administration;
• To communicate with you about our services or your enquiries;
• To inform you through publications, email, text messages and social networks;
• To submit files to public institutions;
• To provide legal assistance, draft a complaint file, defend you before a labour court in the case of a dismissal, wage dispute, bankruptcy, workplace accident, dispute about your right to holiday pay or child allowance, etc.; 
• To pay your supplementary allowances, subsistence allowances, trade union premiums, birth and marriage allowances, strike allowances, etc.;
• To meet our accounting obligations and maintain our archives;
• To offer discounts and extra benefits to members of certain trade federations or certain target groups;
• To invite you to participate in any competitions we organise;
• To help with your tax return;
• To allow you to participate in the proposed training initiatives;
• To help with career guidance.

B. Trade union activities  

• To support your trade union activities (e.g. if you are a candidate for the social elections, or a member of the Works Council, the Health and Safety Committee or trade union delegation);
• To support the trade union activities of our representatives in their company or institution as much as possible. 

C. Activities related to the provision of services as a paying agent 

• To draw up and monitor applications for benefits and to pay out the benefits;
• To comply with our legal obligations, in particular in relation to the National Employment Office (ONEM-RVA) and the Crossroads Bank for Social Security;
• To support jobseekers in their search for work.

D. Protecting ACV-CSC, our members and the public 

• To ensure the security of goods and persons and to prevent abuse, fraud and other offences;
• To respond to legitimate requests from legal or supervisory authorities for access to the data.

E. To maintain, improve and develop the services of ACV-CSC 

• To manage your contacts with our services, regardless of the channel used;
• To safeguard our IT infrastructure and operational processes;
• To optimise the user experience of visitors to our website and provide them with personalised information;
• To organise surveys and polls.

5. What are the legal bases for processing your personal data?

The processing of your personal data is based on one of the following legal grounds;

• Performance of the membership agreement of which you are one of the parties;
• Performance of the legal obligations or for the fulfilment of a task of general interest;
• Protecting the legitimate interests of ACV-CSC. In this context, we always do our best to strike a balance between these interests and respect for your privacy. These are situations in which we process your personal data in order to provide you with the best possible service, in particular:  
  • To conduct communication campaigns to promote our ideas and demands among our members;
  • To protect goods and persons;
  • To identify any abuse that causes (or may cause) serious harm to ACV-CSC;
  • To draft internal reports in order to compile statistics and identify any problems; 
  • To provide users with an attractive, technically functional and user-friendly website. 
• Your consent.  

6. Who has access to your personal data and to whom can it be disclosed?

We monitor the security of our computer systems to prevent the theft or loss of personal data. We ensure that access to personal data is limited to those departments and services that are involved in your file.  

Our code of conduct requires our employees to treat your data with discretion, to respect professional secrecy and to use your personal data only for trade union and statutory purposes in compliance with the law. 

Your personal data will not be transferred to a country outside the European Economic Area or to an international organisation.  

The privacy rules explicitly provide that data on union membership is sensitive personal data. In other words, except when we are bound by legal provisions (e.g. union training, social elections, unemployment, etc.) or when you have given your consent, no one has the right to view this information, not even your employer or the authorities.  

To achieve the various purposes mentioned above, your personal data may be transmitted to:

• Yourself, your legal representative (e.g. a provisional administrator) or any person who has been mandated or authorised by you;
• The various sub-organisations of ACV-CSC;
• Non-profit organisations that provide training to you;
• Our partners if you have a dual membership with the partner and with ACV-CSC;
• The federal and regional public services and the public institutions in charge of specific employment and social security tasks (unemployment, annual leave, invalidity, workplace accidents, occupational diseases, pensions, National Social Security Office, family allowances, etc.), the regional employment services, the Social Security Funds, the Company Closure Fund and other public authorities concerned with our trade union activities;
• The labour courts (employment tribunals and courts of appeal), the company courts and the administrative courts;
• A lawyer appointed by ACV-CSC to represent you;
• The counterparties, their lawyers, bailiffs and experts;
• Our processors (e.g. IT suppliers) with whom we have concluded an agreement and who may only act on the basis of our instructions;
• Academic research institutions, as part of our trade union activities;
• Our auditors, who are bound to professional secrecy;
• The banking institutions acting on behalf of ACV-CSC.

7. How long do we store your personal data?

We will not store your personal data longer than necessary to fulfil the purposes described under item 4. We will delete any data that we no longer need. Unless your data has to be retained to comply with a legal obligation, it will be destroyed or made anonymous 10 years after the end of your membership. 

8. What are your rights?

Any person whose personal data is processed by ACV-CSC may exercise certain rights. Please note that some of these rights are not absolute. This means that they can be exercised, provided that they do not conflict with the legal obligations to which ACV-CSC is subject or with a task of general interest entrusted to ACV-CSC. 

• The right to access your personal data and request a copy of it;
• The right to correct your data;
• The right to erase your data (the right to be forgotten);
• The right to object, in view of your specific situation, to processing that is based on legitimate interests or necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.  
  If the processing is for the purpose of promoting our organisation, services, ideas and demands, objection can be made directly without further investigation. 
• The right to restrict processing;
• The right to transfer the data;
• The right to withdraw your consent at any time if the processing of the data is based on it. Withdrawal of consent does not change the validity of the processing that took place before you withdrew consent. 

If you believe that the processing of your data violates the GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority.  

9. How can you exercise your rights and contact us?

You can exercise the rights mentioned in the previous item as follows: 

• Most of your personal data can be consulted and modified on the website www.hetacv.be in your personal e-file My ACV-CSC, via the contact centre or the nearest ACV-CSC service centre.  
• Contact the ACV-CSC Data Protection Officer by e-mail (dpo@acv-csc.be) or by post at the following address: 
  
  ACV-CSC National  
  Data Protection Officer 
  Haachtsesteenweeg 579 
  1030 Schaarbeek

Be as specific as possible when you want to exercise your rights. This will enable ACV-CSC to respond quickly and correctly to your request. To ascertain the applicant’s identity, ACV-CSC may request a copy of your ID card.  
You can also contact our Data Protection Officer for further information on the processing of your personal data by ACV-CSC.  

Additional information: Data Protection Authority, Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels