About 1,000 bank employees picketed in front of Menara CIMB in Jalan Raja Laut in Kuala Lumpur to fight for their rights, honour and dignity.

During the three-hour picket which started at 10am, employees from all over peninsular Malaysia held banners to demand CIMB management to be more sensitive towards the wants and needs of its workers.

National Union of Banking Employees (NUBE) secretary-general J Solomon said the picket was held to voice the dissatisfaction of employees against CIMB which did not give employees the right of freedom to voice their opinion.

"At CIMB bank now, workers are harassed, discriminated against and abused. They are denied the freedom to voice their views," he told reporters today.

He also alleged that CIMB did not carry out its duty in fulfilling its corporate social responsibility (CSR).             

"A total of 27 employee complaints have not been resolved to date as CIMB bank top management declined to settle complaints at the lowest level," he said.

He said about 100 employees working under temporary contracts were denied employment security and right for better living as guaranteed under permanent contracts.

"The employees are subjected to extreme discrimination," he said.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) exco member A Sivananthan said the matter should have been resolved amicably between the two parties.

"I hope group chief executive Nazir Razak will discuss the matter so that it does not recur," he said, representing MTUC chairperson Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.

- Bernama