The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) has criticised the Human Resources Ministry for allegedly “condoning the unlawful actions” of Maybank Berhad, which recently dismissed two union leaders.

NUBE vice-president Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen and general-treasurer Chen Ka Fatt were recently dismissed for diplaying anti-Maybank banners during a rally in Geneva.

NONE NUBE (Penang, Kedah and Perlis) branch secretary Chee Yeeh Ceeu said that the bank’s action had tarnished the credibility of the Malaysian government.

“NUBE members all over the peninsula are questioning the relationship between the ministry and Maybank in this matter,” he said, referring to the financial institution as a government-linked company (GLC).

However, Chee said NUBE’s actions that follow the dismissal will create awareness amongst all workers in Malaysia that it is the GLC that is the biggest bully.

He added that with this knowledge, Malaysian workers are bound to wake up and protect their rights from being robbed by the GLCs.

‘Najib’s passive attitude creating uneasiness’

Chee accused Maybank of “violating all the laws” in Malaysia, but the government has allegedly not responded because the bank is linked to it.

“We have also written quite number of letters to our prime minister but until today there has been no reply or intervention from him,” said Chee.

“Najib Abdul Razak’s passive attitude towards the issue is creating uneasiness among members, families and friends of NUBE,” he added.

“If this issue is not addressed soon then certain people may use it for their political mileage especially during the upcoming general election,” he stressed.

NONE On Friday, about 300 Northern branch NUBE members and their supporters staged a picket against Maybank outside its regional office in Lebuh Farquhar.

The picket follows several others staged in different parts of the country, as well as police reports being lodged against Maybank, since their two colleagues were dismissed in January.

Other groups which took part in the rally in George Town included the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (Penang branch) and Railwaymen’s Union of Malaya members, and grassroots NGOs like Jerit and Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

Ng Wei Aik, the political secretary to the Penang chief minister, turned up to extend the state’s solidarity support for the dismissed workers.

Bank: Sacking not based on union activities

Maybank’s recent action to sack the two unionists has also drawn flak from international groups.

Asian Regional Organisation of Banking, Insurance and Financial Unions (ROBIF) president CH Venkatachalam said the issue will be brought to the International Labour Organisation should Maybank fail to resolve it immediately.

Indonesian bank union leader Muhammad Bilal Idris also echoed the condemnation, saying that a protest will be held at Maybank Indonesia.

Maybank human resource department head Nora Abdul Manaf had clarified that the two employees, while attending an ILO conference in Switzerland last year, had held up a banner that read “Maybank robs poor Malaysian workers”.

She claimed that the decision to dismiss the workers was not based on trade union activities, as alleged by NUBE.

She reiterated that this is not the first time disciplinary action has been taken against employees for “participating in activities that materially and adversely affects them.”