Maybank employees stage 3-hour picket in Bangsar
A heavy downpour this afternoon failed to dampen the spirits of some 200 Maybank employees and trade unionists who converged at the Bangsar Maybank building to demand the revocation of an in-house union.
A heavy downpour this afternoon failed to dampen the spirits of some 200 Maybank employees and trade unionists who converged at the Bangsar Maybank building to demand the revocation of an in-house union.
Clad in red, the members marched from the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) office in Brickfields at 3pm and soon found themselves soaked by the pouring rain.
Unwavering, they continued their 2km march and arrived at the pedestrian walkway beside Maybank's Bangsar office block some 30 minutes later.
The employees, chanting ‘Maybank is cruel’, also carried banners that read: ‘Stop victimising NUBE members’, ‘Maybank robs Malaysian workers’ and ‘We are underpaid’.
The three-hour protest, organised by Nube, was in protest of Maybank’s decision to dismiss two staff members, who are also officials of the union.
The bank is also reported to have encouraged the formation of an in-house union last year, a move Nube deems is in violation of the Industrial Relations Act.
International unionists, who are in Kuala Lumpur to show solidarity with the Nube have threatened to raise the issue with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) should Maybank fail to resolve the matter immediately.
Discrimination, low wages
Meanwhile, several Maybank employees told Malaysiakini that they face management problems and low wages.
One female employee, who wishes to be known only as Siti, claimed that the bank discriminates against pregnant women by failing to provide the appropriate uniforms.
“They also remove the uniform allowance for pregnant women,” claimed Siti, who works as a front-line staff.
Conversely, Maybank had been rewarding its executives with performance bonuses since 2000, but lower-paid non-executive staffs do not enjoy the same benefits.
A man, who only wished to be identified as Ahmad, claimed Maybank has been hindering attempts by Nube to negotiate for a better collective agreement (CA).
“The pay that we are getting is among the lowest of all banks,” he claimed.
Maybank: Duo harmed bank’s image
Later today, Maybank issued a statement claiming that the two employees were dismissed for causing the disrepute to the bank.
Maybank human resource department head Nora Abdul Manaf said the two employees, while attending an ILO conference in Switzerland last year, held a banner that reads “Maybank robs poor Malaysian workers”.
“The dismissal was not done due to trade union activities, as alleged by Nube,” she claimed.
She reiterated that this is not the first time disciplinary actions have been taken against employees for “participating in activities that materially and adversely affects them.”
“We will protect the interest of all employees and various stakeholders to ensure that its good reputation and image is not affected by such action,” she added.
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