If Maybank could pay CEO Abdul Wahid Omar almost RM4.7 million last year, what is stopping it from similarly improving the income of its clerical and non-clerical staff?

National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) general secretary J Solomon posed this in pointing out that Abdul Wahid’s bonus payment alone was equivalent to 24 months of his basic salary last year.

“In 2009, his j solomon nube sec gen 290806 calm total annual income was about RM4.2 million, including a bonus equivalent to 24 months’ basic salary,” claimed Solomon (left) in a statement today.

“These immoral and indecent payouts are not justified anywhere in the bank’s financial records.”

He noted that the annual income of a special grade clerk at the maximum of his salary scale is RM56,462 per year, “which is far lesser than the benefits in kind paid to the Maybank CEO per annum”.

“The total income of a ‘special grade’ clerk who has worked for 30 years in the bank is far less than the annual bonus paid to a CEO who has been less than three years in Maybank.”

Solomon said Nube has been pursuing a claim for bonus arrears of a total of 80 months - at eight months per year - since 2000 for its 5,000 members in Maybank.

“One must be mindful that the quantum ...  is a trifling amount compared to the amount of payments, benefits in kind, compensation, pension and benefits in kind paid to the CEO,” he noted.

On Oct 14 last year, the union had written a letter to the bank with the demand , but has yet to receive a reply.

‘Nube’s choice’

Last November, Bernama had reported Maybank’s view that issues of annual remuneration relating to all clerical and non-clerical employees are governed by a collective agreement (CA) between the Malaysian Commercial Banks Association (MCBA) and Nube.

The CA, achieved through Nube, clearly defines the agreed remuneration, including contractual bonuses for all members, the bank reportedly said.

maybank malaysia bank 121108 It claimed that it exceeded the anticipated bonus last year with an ex-gratia payment of RM1,000 to each employee, over and above the contractual or performance-based bonus.

Maybank also said the MCBA had, during previous CA negotiations, proposed a performance-related bonus scheme for Nube members.

However, Nube had opted for the contractual bonus scheme, it added.