BVU

Privacy Policy

The British Veterinary Union in Unite (BVU) is committed to ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of members, potential members and our website visitors. This policy sets out how we will treat your personal information.

Unite the Union is the “Data Controller” of your personal data for the BVU; the Head Office address is:-

Unite the Union, 128 Theobald’s Road, London, WC1X 8TN

Reference to personal data may include any information which directly or indirectly identifies you. This may include: your name, address, contact details, date of birth, National Insurance number and bank details.

The personal data you supply to us will be held in electronic and/or manual format.

The processing of personal data by BVU/Unite the Union will be in line with the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This policy reflects our duties to use information fairly, keep it secure, make sure it is accurate and keep it up to date.

Please read the following policy to understand how your personal information will be treated. It may change from time to time, so please check back periodically. It was last updated in May 2021.

1. How Unite uses your personal data as a member

General information about Unite’s use of your data and how we may contact you
All information that Unite the Union holds concerning you as an individual (your personal data) will be held and processed in accordance with the provisions of the GDPR.

We collect and may process your personal data as a member for the following purposes:
1. the administration and management of your membership records
2. to provide you with information and updates about Unite the Union’s activities, campaigns, benefits and services

3. to notify you of changes to our services and benefits
4. to determine eligibility for and administer benefits
5. to conduct elections and ballots
6. to administer branch and other meetings (as well as meetings of any committee or conference within the union to which you may be elected or a delegate)

7. to provide you with support, assistance, advice and/or representation in an individual or collective case
8. to process your membership subscription payments
9. for equality monitoring when provided by you. The provision of equality monitoring information is not compulsory, but providing this will allow Unite to accurately monitor

our membership diversity and to take appropriate action to ensure that women, BAEM, disabled, LGBT+ and migrant workers are fully represented within the union.
10. to comply with legal requirements

11. to conduct research surveys
12. to provide Unite training courses and education
13. for other trade union related purposes, objects or activities, including those set in Unite’s Rule Book. https://www.unitetheunion.org/media/3470/unite-rule-book- effective-following-2019-v2-072020.pdf

We will keep your personal data confidential and will take appropriate measures to protect it against loss, theft or misuse and to safeguard your privacy.

By joining Unite you should understand that we may use some or all of the personal data you have provided for the above purposes. Where other purposes apply, we will notify you when you provide your data.

The primary basis upon which Unite process members’ personal data is it is necessary for the legitimate interests of a trade union. Unite’s legitimate interests are broadly defined in our Rule Book and policy decisions https://resources.unitetheunion.org/policies-and-publications, which includes the interests of you as an individual member and/or of members or the union generally.

Certain processing is also carried out because it is necessary to comply with the law, including the requirement that trade unions keep an accurate register of members’ names and addresses. If you wish to be a member, you must provide this information to us.

Unite the Union may contact you at your home address, by telephone, SMS or email. You can change how we communicate with you at any time by visiting the MyUnite website https://myunite.unitetheunion.org/login or by contacting your Regional Office to do this for you. We respect and will follow your communication preferences as far as possible when making any contact with you. There are however certain mandatory communications that we must send you for the purpose of your union membership including those (if applicable) relating to statutory ballots or elections, your union subscription payments, collective bargaining or collective consultation, legal claims and, if necessary, invitations to branch or workplace meetings. You are not able to opt-out of receiving these mandatory communications.

Sharing of information

We may disclose information about you to Unite’s officers, staff, branch officials, workplace representatives or agents, insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes as set out in this privacy policy.

Unite the Union will not disclose any of your personally identifiable information to any third party unless they are processing data on the union’s behalf, we have your

consent, to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim and/or we are required to do so by law.

Third parties

Unite shares some member information with carefully selected third parties, who carry out trade union related data processing activities on Unite’s behalf, including:-

  • Ballot and election administration, as required by law
  • Maintaining and updating membership information
  • IT systems support
  • Print and/or processing of authorised postal and/or electronic communications from Unite regarding the union’s objects, services, benefits, campaigns, policies or other matters relating to your membership of Unite, or as required by law
  • Email/web platforms and surveys
  • Operating the Unite Helpline

We have contractual, technical, organisational and security measures in place to protect members’ data.

Unite will normally also share necessary personal data with either your bank or employer, depending on the method by which you chose to pay your membership subscriptions, in order to process your subscription payments according to the payment method you consented to. This applies to your bank if you pay by direct debit or your employer if you pay by check-off. You can change your subscription payment method at any time by contacting your Regional Office.

Where members join the Labour Party as affiliated trade union members and consent to this, we will share necessary data with the Labour Party in order to verify your trade union membership.

Cookies

This Website may place and access certain Cookies on your computer. The British Veterinary Union in Unite (BVU) uses Cookies to improve your experience of using the website. The British Veterinary Union in Unite (BVU) has carefully chosen these Cookies and has taken steps to ensure that your privacy is protected and respected at all times.

All Cookies used by this Website are used in accordance with current UK and EU Cookie Law.

This Website may place the following Cookies:

  • Type of Cookie: Analytical/performance cookies – They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.

You can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser.

You can choose to delete Cookies at any time; however you may lose any information that enables you to access the Website more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, personalisation settings.

It is recommended that you ensure that your internet browser is up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.

Storage of data

We will keep your personal data only for the period necessary to enable us to fulfil the purpose(s) for which we collected it, to comply with our legal obligations and/or whilst we maintain a legitimate interest in retaining it.

Transfers overseas

We do not routinely transfer your data outside of the UK or the European Economic Area. Where this is necessary, we ensure appropriate data protection measures are in place.

Updating and Accessing your information

You have the right to correct the personal data we hold on you or change how we process your data/contact you. You can do this by visiting the MyUnite website https://myunite.unitetheunion.org or by contacting your Regional Office to do this for you.

You have the right to access the personal data we have kept on record about
you and, in certain circumstances, to have your personal data deleted. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or would like to request access or deletion of your personal data, you can do this by contacting our Data Protection Officer at or by post at the following address:-

Data Protection Officer
Unite the Union
128 Theobald’s Road
London
WC1X 8TN

Unite are committed to your data protection and upholding your data rights. If you think we have not done so, please contact

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office or, if your branch is located outside of the UK, the Supervisory Authority of the Country in which it is based.