It's time to elect your President: Issue 5 - March 2024 | Accord Magazine

Accord president and pec election 2024-2026 - blue background with hands raised on a laptop screen

Vote for your new Accord President

In accordance with Accord’s rules, our current President, Neil Magill, will end his term of office at the close of our April conference in Glasgow. That means it’s time for you to elect a new Accord President.

Mi-Voice (of Epsilon House, Enterprise Road, Southampton Science Park, Southampton, S016 7NS) has been appointed as the Independent Scrutineer of the election. The election will be governed by the approved regulations. Under trade union law, the election must take place by post.

Your ballot paper was posted to your registered home address on Friday, 16th February.

If you haven’t already, complete and return the ballot paper in the pre-paid envelope provided. If you’ve not received your ballot, please let us know before Monday, 11th March as this is the last date we can issue new ballot papers.

The ballot paper must be back with the Scrutineer before noon on Tuesday, 19th March 2024. And the result will be published as soon as practical afterwards.

Meet the candidates

There are three candidates in contention for the role of President: Allison Howie, Richard Joyce, and Carol Knowles. Along with your ballot papers, you will also have received a booklet including election addresses from Allison, Richard, and Carol.

These can also be read here and we’ve included excerpts from each of the addresses below.

If elected I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure all colleagues receive fair treatment. Fast-paced change has become normal and as more colleagues are affected, it is vital that they are treated with dignity and respect and receive the support they need to adapt and learn new skills.

I am proud of what Accord has achieved, from protecting colleagues throughout Covid to securing cost of living payments, and I am committed to growing the union and ensuring that we continue to support our members.

I understand that the next few years will bring unprecedented changes for most of us and know the time and commitment I will need to bring to the role of President, and I will work tirelessly for you over the next two years if I am successful.
Allison Howie

The role of Accord President requires lengthy, in-depth negotiations with the company. Working closely with the General Secretary, the scope of the role encompasses reaching agreement on pay, reward, and policy. In addition, there is a significant element of scrutiny of Accord from a governance angle, including the BAU running of Accord, monitoring the accounts, and ensuring that the union stays in a strong financial position for its future continuity. The President should guide the PEC to ensure that this is all in place, tasks that I believe I am well positioned to deliver.

Having been a member of the pay negotiation team, I have a strong voice and can engage with the Employee Relations team on the matters that are paramount to our membership. Accord requires strong leadership and governance to achieve its aims of Fair Reward, Job Security and Dignity at Work. I believe I can help deliver these.
Carol Knowles

As we move forward into 2024 and beyond, when the business is looking to move at pace delivering change, and as we look to a future where Artificial Intelligence will impact on how we work and the jobs that we currently do, alongside external influences, Accord has a vital role to continue protecting members’ interests.

Accord continues to be a mechanism for change and I’m proud of Accord’s achievements in advancing the rights and interest of our members. I will continue to champion these rights to ensure that every colleague continues to be treated with respect as we face into the challenges ahead. I will continue to work on your behalf, using the solid foundations set by those who have come before me to make Accord the strong union it is as we to continue grow to be the vibrant, inclusive, and progressive union that members deserve.
Richard Joyce

Goodbye from Neil - Accord President

As President of Accord since April 2020, I have helped steer Accord through very difficult and uncertain times.

When I stood for election four years ago, little did I know that we would all be facing a global pandemic, followed by a cost-of-living crisis, and wars in Europe and the Middle East that have rocked the world.

Throughout my time as President, I’ve always put members at the heart of everything I did and every decision that was made.

I have contributed to high-level negotiations within the bank over the last four years alongside our General Secretary Ged Nichols and Assistant General Secretaries Paula Tegg and Jim Fielding. There’s been a lot to learn along the way.

We’ve had our challenges on reward, job security and ways of working but on a personal level I have always faced those challenges constructively to try to make a positive difference for our members and to minimise any negative impact.

When I was elected in 2020, I promised to help sustain and grow our union. I have kept that promise and can regularly be seen in recruitment sessions across the UK, making new recruits aware of Accord’s amazing story. I also regularly attend member drop-in days on LBG work-sites.

In 2022 I moved with my wife and son from Belfast to Glasgow where my time as President will come to an end at our conference in April. I have kept strong links in Belfast but am also enjoying building new relationships across Scotland with members, reps and Accord’s staff. A recent highlight was running a recruitment session with new Lloyds’ colleagues in Dunfermline alongside a colleague who I recruited as a member of Accord a few years ago and has now become an active Accord rep on the Pitreavie site.

Our union has some big challenges ahead of us because of changes in the economy and in how technology affects the ways we live and work. Even though my time as President is coming to an end, I promise that I’ll continue to play my part in protecting and promoting members’ interests.

I’ll support your new President, passing on the experience I’ve gained over the last four years to support them in every way I can.

I’m proud of what our union stands for and the difference it makes to so many people’s lives. I’m immensely proud of the impact I’ve had on our union in my time as President. It’s without doubt the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my professional life.

Thank you for putting your trust in me and for all of the friendships and laughs along the way.