The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) is prepared to call for a re-election to resolve the protracted power struggle, on condition that the government endorses the line-up that was voted in last July, said a union official.

Early this year, Trades Union director-general Zulkifli Abdullah mooted the idea of a re-election as the only way of resolving the clash between two factions.

NUBE general secretary J Solomon said Zulkifli's refusal to endorse the results of last year's election by way of secret ballot had compounded internal problems.

"The reason he didn't endorse the results is because he took sides. But since he suggested a re-election to resolve the deadlock, we agreed," he said when contacted today.

"The problem now is that the director-general is washing his hands off after insisting on recognising two factions. This is despite a court order obtained last year in our favour."

'Supervise re-election'

Solomon said he had been agreeable to the suggestion then because, he too, felt that it would help resolve the two-year long battle to gain effective control of the union.

However, in a letter dated July 11 addressed to Solomon, Zulkifli changed his tune and said he was not empowered under the Trades Union Act 1959 to call for a re-election.

Following this about-turn, Solomon said he would suggest in writing this week that Zulkifli endorses last year's election results and recognises those voted in as the legitimate office-bearers.

"If he can't call for a re-election, he should allow us to call for one instead. But for that, he must first endorse the results that we submitted to his office last year," he said.

"We would also welcome the director-general or the Malaysian Trades Union Congress to supervise the re-election in order to avert claims of unfairness and bias."

Solomon felt that Zulkifli, who had responded only after a reminder to Human Resources Ministry secretary-general Dr Mohd Yahya Nordin earlier this month, was now implying that the re-election proposal was his (Solomon's) idea.

"He was the one who has been trying to convince us to seriously consider fresh elections as the only way forward, but his letter is worded such to look as if it was our proposal," Solomon said.

"We will set the record straight in our reply because we suspect there is more to his reluctance in endorsing the election results than meets the eye."

Zulkifli, who was not available for comment, had sent copies of his letter to Mohd Yahya and leader of the rival faction, Mohd Noor Basir.

Due to the fiasco, about 30 administrative staff unsure of getting their July salary after Zulkifli ordered that all of the union's accounts be frozen.

'Why the delay?'

NUBE president Abdul Jalil Abdul Hamid also had the same thing to say about Zulkifli's actions and idea of re-election.

He said by being a stumbling block to an amicable resolution, Zulkifli was condoning anti-NUBE activities.

"Why did it take him so long before realising he was powerless to act on something he had mooted three months ago?

He said the union had in fact submitted several resolutions in April as a response to Zulkifli's idea, including conditions agreed to by both parties before the re-election.

Among these are to designate an independent body to conduct or monitor the re-elections, and for all pending legal proceedings to be adjourned.

"He appears to be playing with the livelihood of 30,000 union members (because the union is unable to function effectively) and that is very irresponsible, careless and ignorant," Abdul Jalil claimed.

"In May, we sent Zulkifli a brief description, duration and cost factor, including the rules and procedures contained in the union constitution, for the proposed re-election to show our seriousness in solving this problem."

Over the last two years, NUBE has been fraught with allegations of fraud, abuse of power, misappropriation of funds and numerous police reports.

The group led by Abdul Jalil and Solomon has sent several memoranda to the relevant government officials, and has been trying to meet the prime minister, his deputy, the deputy finance minister, government MPs, the human resources minister and the minister in the PM's department.

The prevailing uncertainty over the legitimacy of the union leadership has given banks leeway to act against members.