The Liberal Trade Union is one of only three representative employee organizations recognized by law in Belgium with more than 300,000 members and more than 6,000 delegates.

Our values?

Freedom, solidarity, responsibility and tolerance are the four values ​​that guide us in our daily operations. Our ethical principle is that freedom brings responsibility. This means that man is responsible for his fellow man. What sets us apart from other unions at KU Leuven is the hierarchy in these values. Freedom that brings responsibility is more important than equality. Religion is not a necessary requirement to be able to care for each other in solidarity.

Apolitical and consultative union

Unlike other unions, we act completely politically independently. As a Liberal Trade Union we certainly do not dictate choices. We are an interest group: we pursue the material and intangible, individual and collective interests of employees. For principled and pragmatic reasons, the ACLVB KU Leuven always gives priority to consultation.

ACLVB at KU Leuven

The ACLVB trade union delegation does not consider itself to be just another opposite of the employer. As a participant in social dialogue, we are an essential part of the KU Leuven company. A good opposition is the watchdog for every democratic organization; the legally organized social consultation takes on that role within a company, in the interest of everyone who wants to see that company function properly. The manifest belief that employee well-being is the most essential part of a healthy business interest drives us in our operations. This is how we help manage our organization:

• we represent KU Leuven employees in the Works Council (“Ondernemingsraad”), the Workplace Safety Committee (Comié voor Preventie en Bescherming op het Werk), the Personnel Matters Committee (Comité Personeelszaken), the Social Consultation Body Association KU Leuven and in the Management Committee Common Department for HSE KU Leuven Association;
• we make KU Leuven administrators sensitive to the views and concerns of our colleagues who have to implement policy decisions on the work floor; Sometimes a monster company like KU Leuven (almost 14,000 employees, excluding UZ Leuven) shows small weaknesses and then it is good that someone stands next to a colleague and supports him or her unconditionally;
• where and when necessary, we assist our colleagues in relation to their head of department, their director, their faculty, their campus, their group manager, their rector,...
• we help guide colleagues and organizations through the maze of social law;
• we contribute to constructive solutions to help colleagues and organization move forward; and consultation is more important in all this than too frivolous action.

On national level we are participating in

• Vlaams overlegcomité voor het hoger onderwijs (Flemish consultation body for Higher Education) where collective labor agreements are negotiated between Flemish universities, Flemish government and trade unions;
• Paritair Comité 225 (Joint Committee 225) where collective agreements are negotiated between Belgian Universities and trade unions.