I refer to the letter Attack on Citibank's HR head uncalled for . It must rank as the mother of all ironies that the arguments of the writer of the letter and the position taken by the bank, which includes the language used, are very similar. It will be good if the writer could reveal himself and engage in a healthy debate which can be carried out publicly, instead of hiding behind the veil of anonymity.

The National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) is under no illusions or delusions. We are clear in our minds and have illustrated in our actions that we are for economic progress, though this will have to be done by ensuring that the interest of Malaysian workers are protected. Nube will not make any excuses or apologize for its ideals and will continue to pursue our objectives in the larger interest of the country.

I will here rebut every point which has been raised by the writer and the Malaysian public can judge as to which party is belligerent – Citibank or Nube.

(a) Any ‘managerial prerogative’ is not an unfettered right. Reason, good sense and good faith all come into the equation and outsourcing has been used to depress wages and widen the income gap in nations. The widening of the income gap, the depression of wages and the deprivation of labor rights are proving to be a bane to the global economy – where the system is now crumbling and is clearly unsustainable.

Nube will continue to pursue and further the cause of the ills of the growing income divide. The prime minister of this country has recognized this and irrespective of political affiliations, every Malaysian in his right mind should be supportive of this.

(b) Productivity and efficiency do not stand alone and work in isolation. It has to work in tandem with all other factors and considerations – and this includes the rights of workers to their livelihoods. The age-old adage as described by ‘AC’ is a fundamental and basic human right.

A growing income gap and the deprivation of workers’ rights certainly will not be applauded by any person or party who has the larger interest of people and businesses at heart.

(c) The very fact that there exists a collective agreement brings into issue the matter of non- compliance. Minus a collective agreement, non-compliance as envisaged by the Industrial Relations Act 1967 will not arise.

On the allegation of being ‘uncultured’ and ‘bullying’, I would like to have the public decide on this. Citibank is a large corporation who is looking at depriving workers of their basic fundamental rights and their livelihoods. Nube is standing up for the rights of the marginalized, oppressed and disadvantaged and the lowly-paid workers.

The real bullies are the organizations who are ‘too big to fail’, where they have accessed taxpayers’ funds to bail out their organizations as was evident during the recent global financial crisis. These organizations placed themselves in such positions as a result of their greed and brutal exploitation of resources. It is these same organizations, after having received the hand-outs from the common people, who now seek to oppress workers.

Again I will have to ask this question – who is the bully?

(d) That the head of human resources of the bank is an expatriate is a fact and he has clearly disregarded Malaysian laws, culture and custom. Nube will again reiterate that it incumbent on foreigners to learn and adapt to Malaysian ways and not disrespect Malaysian people and institutions – just as Malaysian nationals working overseas will have to adopt and adapt to other cultures. The age old adage - when in Rome do as the Romans do - will apply here.

This matter has been taken public as it affects Malaysian workers and involves the oppression of our people’s rights – and if the protection and defending the poor man’s rights is seen as belligerent, Nube will wear the badge of belligerence proudly.

The party which is belligerent, in the true sense of the word, is Citibank – as it is seeking to use its financial muscle to trample over the lowly paid Malaysian workers.

The industrial relations system, which promotes industrial harmony, is not in place to allow corporate giants like Citibank to abuse Malaysian workers. The worst forms of thuggery is what can be termed as corporate thuggery – where corporations use its financial muscle to deprive workers and the general public their rightful place in the overall equation. Citibank Malaysia should reflect as to whether they have been civilized and cultured.

The Malaysian public will be the final arbiters, and the very educated, informed, ethical and scrupulous Malaysian public will also decide on which party has intellectualized their position better.

The writer is general-secretary, Nube.