The outcome of a meeting between the Malaysian Commercial Banks Association (MCBA) and Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn today will reflect the association's interest in settling a dispute with the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE).

NUBE president Abdul Jalil Abdul Hamid said the bank association should not come up with any more excuses after the meeting, if it is sincere about resolving outstanding issues with employees.

This is because NUBE has already agreed to the minister's request to find an amicable solution after being advised yesterday as to what the association wants the union to do.

"If MCBA still comes up with excuses after the meeting (thus prolonging the crisis), it will show nothing but disrespect to the minister himself," said Abdul Jalil when contacted by malaysiakini .

"It will also show the employers' true colours, which is to kill the union."

Abdul Jalil said NUBE has shown its respect for the minister by suspending all industrial action against the banks, in the form of strikes and work-to-rule decisions.

Special account set-up

Abdul Jalil explained that NUBE has agreed to set up a special account as suggested by the MCBA, after being told to do so by Fong (photo).

"Setting up a special account and having it inspected by the Director-General of Trades Union (DGTU) should not be a problem at all for us," he said

"If fact, the DGTU can check the account as often as he likes, even on a daily basis if the bank wants to, because we have nothing to hide."

MCBA had asked for the special account after another faction in NUBE, led by former deputy president Fauzi Shamsuddin and former treasurer Mohd Noor Basir, accused the recently elected office bearers of misappropriating union funds.

Resume payment facility

"All we want now is for all nine commercial banks to continue with the 'check off' (automatic fee-deduction from monthly salary of NUBE members) for the next pay day," said Abdul Jalil.

Citing legality, the banks have stopped the 'check off' facility for the past two months, putting 30,000 union memberships at risk.

A union member automatically loses membership if no payment is made to the registered address of the trade union for three consecutive months.

MCBA is made up of Maybank, Arab Malaysia Bank, Bank Utama, Bank Simpanan Nasional, Bumiputra Commerce, EON Bank, Hong Leong, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Alliance Bank, Affin Bank, Public Bank, Southern Bank and Standard Chartered.

Attempts to contact MCBA officials for comment were not successful.