About 500 members of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) protested at the premises of the Human Resources Ministry in Putrajaya today at what they perceived to be a union-busting exercise by the Malayan Commercial Banks Association (MCBA).

NUBE members from all over the country showed up to ask the ministry's assistance to resolve outstanding issues with their employers.

A memorandum signed by union representatives of 12 commercial banks was submitted to minister Dr Fong Chan Onn through the ministry's secretary-general Dr Syed Muhammad Syed Abdul Kadir.

Speaking to reporters later, the group's representative and NUBE member Othman Md Yusuff urged for the ministry's intervention.

One of the disputes is the ceased deduction of their union subscription and group insurance fees starting this month. The banks had claimed that this was to alleviate the confusion stemming from conflicting claims and instructions from the union.