Accord is an independent trade union, affiliated to the TUC and the Scottish TUC and specialized for around 25,000 staff in financial services, including members in the Lloyds Banking Group, MBNA, TSB, The Equitable Life Assurance Society and Sainsbury's Bank.
Accord can trace its origins back to 1978, when it was founded as the Halifax Building Society Staff Association (HBSSA).
He had concluded that staff within the Halifax Building Society were in need of trade union representation, and had begun organising in earnest in 1977.
By the end of 1978 the HBSSA was recognised by the then Halifax Building Society "as the sole bargaining agent for its members below Executive and Regional Manager level".
This meant that it was recognised by the Government as a bona fide trades union and was afforded the rights to which it was entitled.