The National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) has accused Human Resources Minister Steven Sim of sidelining workers in favour of negotiations with their employers, represented by the Malayan Commercial Banks’ Association (MCBA), for a festival aid payment.
Nube general secretary J Solomon in a press conference with members at the union’s office in Kuala Lumpur, cited an April 2 circular from banks announcing a one-off ex-gratia payment - one month salary for non-clerical staff, and half month for clerical and special grade clerical staff.
The circular was issued five days after a mediation meeting between Nube and MCBA, chaired by the Industrial Relations Department, failed to come up with an agreeable resolution.
“The minister cannot meet with the MCBA when there is a trade dispute between two parties.
“He cannot meet them (MCBA) in private without both parties being present,” said Solomon.
“The minister cannot go behind Nube’s back to assert the powers of Nube and negotiate with MCBA for an inferior resolution that affects our members,” he stressed.
Malaysiakini has contacted Sim for comments.
According to Nube, the trade dispute with MCBA was declared in January after eligible members were allegedly denied their festival aid payment for Chinese New Year.
Lesser amount
Solomon said up to 90 percent of Nube members are from the clerical and special grade clerical category and will receive a lesser amount than a full month’s pay negotiated last year in a Festival Aid Memorandum of Agreement signed with MCBA.
He also disputed MCBA’s argument that the agreement reached with Nube last year was for a one-off payment to be made a month before the workers’ main festival, for example, Hari Raya or Christmas.
“The agreement doesn’t say a one-off payment. It says will ‘review (the amount) the following year’,” he claimed, adding that any review should also be for an upward amount based on increased profits made by banks.
Further, he said certain banks had also paid up to two months of festival aid for workers in their operations overseas, but yet refused to do so for locals here.
Moving forward, Solomon said Nube’s demands include for MCBA to incorporate a one-month salary festival aid payment for all workers as part of a collective agreement.
In separate press statements yesterday, the Union Network International-Malaysia Labour Centre and the Sarawak Bank Employees’ Union credited Sim for his role in assisting workers in receiving their festival aid payment for this year.
The Malaysian Trade Union Congress commended Sim but at the same time called for a long-term solution in the best interest of workers. - Mkini
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