The influential National Union of Bank Employee (NUBE) today launched a protest against the country's second largest bank, Bumiputra-Commerce Bank (BCB), distributing pamphlets and balloons to the public at two busy shopping complexes in Kuala Lumpur.

Many union members were seen at the Suria KLCC and the Sogo complexes this afternoon in a public display of grievance against the bank. They gave away balloons with the words "BCB cheating workers" on them.

Among other things, the NUBE claimed that the bank was not conducting its outsourcing of duties according to labour law provisions and that a large number of clerical and non-clerical staff lost their jobs due to outsourcing of work.

They also claimed that non-management staff were not given adequate leave for pilgrimage to Mecca and that the leave given was not the same as given to management staff for performing their religious duties.

"The bank had also stopped the long-service awards given to its employees but instead executive level staff continued to enjoy the RM30,000 holiday package once every two years," NUBE secretary-general J Solomon said.

He also alleged that the Bank was unfair in apportioning the employee share option scheme as senior managers took the bulk of shares leaving "bits and pieces for the lower level staff".

Met at the Suria KLCC, NUBE deputy chairperson Abdul Zaman Abdullah questioned the integrity of the collaboration between BCB with its subsidiary company, EPIC-I, which he claimed had undermined the welfare of the bank's workers.

"Although BCB's pre-tax profit last year was RM314.6 million, the clerical and non-clerical employees did not get anything but EPIC-I has been offered financial assistance worth hundreds of millions," the union leader said.

Directors named

According to Abdul Zaman, EPIC-I has been given more than RM200 million since it was contracted to take over part of BCB's banking functions in late 2001.

"EPIC-I was jointly formed by several BCB directors and they are also now directors of EPIC-I. While BCB employees were deprived of their benefits, funds seemed to flow easily into the top management of EPIC-I," he said.

The directors were named in the pamphlets distributed to the public this afternoon.

Attempts by malaysiakini to contact them today failed as it is King's birthday and a public holiday.

EPIC-I is playing a role of a third company to provide information technology and back-up office processing to BCB such as branch accounting and balancing, general ledger posting, cheque clearing and processing and trade finance processing.

NUBE has about 30,000 members nationwide with 4,500 attached to BCB.

Abdul Zaman said union members will continue with their protest at BCB branches by wearing badges and distribute leaflets until "the issue is resolved".

BCB was established on October 1, 1999 from a merger of the former Bank Bumiputra with Bank of Commerce.