Duncan Hall retires after 61 years
Accord members and workplace rep, Duncan Hall, retires after 61 years. We thank him for being part of the union
Accord members and workplace rep, Duncan Hall, retires after 61 years. We thank him for being part of the union
In September, Accord’s longest-serving rep, Duncan Hall, retired from Lloyd’s Banking Group after 61 years of continuous service.
Duncan began working at the Commerical Street branch of the Halifax Building Society in August 1962, the same month the Beatles ditched their original drummer and took on Ringo Starr, and just a couple of months before Accord’s General Secretary, Ged Nichols, was born.
Right from the start Duncan stood up for the rights of his coworkers. When he moved to Todmorden branch in 1977, he took on a manager who made workers collect cash from Barclays bank and carry it back.
“We knew it was dangerous so varied our routes,” Duncan told My Accord in 2020. “But there are only so many ways to walk around Todmorden Market!” He took on the case and as a result, Securicor was brought in to deliver the money.
So, it was no surprise that when John Simmons began the staff association that would evolve into Accord, also in 1977, Duncan was one of the first to be involved. Since then, he’s been at almost every reps’ meeting and biennial conference. He’s supported hundreds of Accord members and been a friend and mentor to countless reps and officials.
“I’ve been with the union through some huge changes,” he said in 2020. “People have always stopped me in the building for advice and nothing is more satisfying than being able to help somebody in need.”
Duncan will be missed by colleagues and friends at work and in Accord, who describe him as persistent, tenacious, kind, loyal, hard-working, committed, and an embodiment of the union’s values. But thankfully he intends to stay involved as an honorary member.
Commenting on Duncan’s retirement, Ged says:
This certainly is the end of an era. Duncan has been at the heart of our union since the very beginning. He's been a familiar face and a good friend, and I know he’s made an enormous difference to his colleagues and to Accord. On behalf of all of us I’d like to thank him for his many years of service and wish him a very happy retirement.
