What ACLVB does

SYNOVA (formerly ACLVB, Algemene Centrale der Liberale Verenigingen van België) is a Belgian free trade union (vrije vakbond) founded in 1891, headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, that serves working individuals across Belgium with employment-related services and collective labor representation. The organization rebranded to SYNOVA on May 30, 2024 — "SYN" referencing Greek for "together" and union roots, "NOVA" meaning Latin for "new" — as a strategic refresh of name and visual identity while preserving its mission, values (freedom, solidarity, responsibility, tolerance), and operational structure. National President Gert Truyens has positioned the rebrand as a response to changing work and the need for an evolved form of solidarity, articulated in his book "Waarom een nieuwe vakbond?"

SYNOVA delivers services through a digital member portal (my.aclvb-cgslb.org), the public website synova.be, social media channels, and a network of physical offices across Belgium. Core offerings include unemployment dossier management and benefit monitoring, job search assistance via "Jobcorners" (vacancies, training, application tips, career guidance), legal and social advisory services, and member benefits such as discounts and affordable vacation homes. The underlying technology stack is limited to a member self-service portal; the organization does not disclose proprietary AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or integrations.

The business model is membership-based and recurring: members pay subscription dues to access the union's services. As a non-profit trade union owned collectively by its members, SYNOVA operates without external investors, parent company, or disclosed funding rounds. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and membership pricing is not published. With 501–1,000 employees and 130+ years of continuous operation, the organization serves a horizontal segment of working individuals in Belgium, competing in a regulated institutional framework that grants unions formal roles in social negotiations and works councils.

Name

ACLVB

Legal name

SYNOVA

Website

https://aclvb.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SYNOVA (formerly ACLVB) is a Belgian free trade union founded in 1891 that provides unemployment benefit management, legal and social advisory services, job search support, and member benefits to working individuals across Belgium through membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Antwerp

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SYNOVA generates revenue through membership subscriptions. Members pay dues to remain affiliated with the trade union and receive services including legal assistance, unemployment benefit administration, social advice, job corner services, and access to member benefits such as discounts and vacation homes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACLVB, operating under the SYNOVA brand since May 30, 2024, is a Belgian free trade union providing employment-related services and social protection to its members. Core services include unemployment dossier management, legal assistance in employment matters, social advice, the Jobcorners job-search platform, and a member benefits program offering discounts and access to vacation homes. The organization is member-funded through subscription fees and supported by a network of regional offices across Belgium.

Product overview

SYNOVA (formerly ACLVB, a Belgian free trade union with 130+ years of history) offers a portfolio of member services centered on a digital member portal. The core offering includes unemployment dossier management, job placement assistance through Jobcorners, legal and social advisory services, and member benefits such as discounts and vacation homes. The organization is primarily a service-based membership organization rather than a technology product company, providing these services through their member portal platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance Service Legal support and representation for members in employment-related matters, provided by in-house legal staff. Targeted at individual union members facing workplace disputes or needing legal counsel on labor issues.
• Unemployment Dossier Management End-to-end administrative handling of unemployment benefit claims and dossiers on behalf of members. Targeted at members who are unemployed or transitioning between jobs and need help navigating Belgian social-security procedures.
• Jobcorners Job-search and career-guidance platform connecting members with employment opportunities and career support resources. Targeted at union members seeking new employment, retraining, or career development.
• Member Benefits Program Membership benefits package offering exclusive discounts and access to vacation homes for union members. Targeted at active members seeking lifestyle savings and leisure benefits tied to their union membership.
• Social Advisory Service Social advice and guidance for members on topics such as social security, pensions, and welfare rights. Targeted at members navigating Belgian social-protection systems.
• Member Portal Online member self-service portal (my.aclvb-cgslb.org) providing members with access to union services, dossier status, and benefits. Targeted at active union members for digital service delivery.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• TUC (Trades Union Congress): UK national trade union confederation representing affiliated unions. Comparable in advocacy, collective-bargaining, and member-service functions to SYNOVA, though organized at the confederation level rather than as a single direct-membership union.
• DGB (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund): Germany's national trade union confederation. Comparable as a large Western European member-funded union federation offering legal protection, lobbying, and member services, though operating in a different national labor-law environment.
• CFDT (Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail): Major French trade union confederation. Comparable in structure and service scope (legal advice, unemployment support, member benefits) to SYNOVA, though serving a different national labor market.

Others

• Voka (Vlaams netwerk van ondernemingen): Flemish employers' organization sitting on the opposite side of Belgian social-dialogue tables from SYNOVA. Comparable as a structurally embedded socio-economic actor in the same institutional framework, but serving employers rather than employees.
• ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation): European umbrella organization representing national trade union confederations, including Belgium's. Comparable as an institutional counterpart shaping the policy environment in which SYNOVA operates, though not a direct competitor for individual members.

Direct peers

• CSC (Confédération des Chrétiens Syndicalistes): French-speaking wing of the ACV Christian trade union movement, addressing the same workers and offering the same union services as ACV in the Walloon region. A direct ideological and operational peer of SYNOVA.
• FGTB (Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique): The French-speaking counterpart of ABVV, serving the Walloon and Brussels segments of the Belgian labor market. Directly comparable in mandate, service mix, and funding model to SYNOVA.
• ABVV (Algemene Belgische Vakvereniging): The principal socialist trade union confederation in Belgium, competing head-to-head with ACLVB/SYNOVA for members across industries. Provides the same core suite of legal, social, and unemployment services funded by membership dues.
• ACV (Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond): The largest trade union confederation in Belgium, organized along Christian-democratic lines. Direct competitor to ACLVB/SYNOVA for the same working-individual membership base, offering overlapping legal, unemployment, and member-benefit services.
• NSZ (Neutrale Syndicale Zaak): A smaller Belgian trade union positioned as ideologically neutral. Competes with ACLVB/SYNOVA for individual members seeking representation outside the traditional Christian or socialist confederations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACLVB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aclvb
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACLVB

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACLVB