Regional group calls on PM to halt union-busting against Nube

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)-Asia Pacific has called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to immediately intervene and address union-busting actions against the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube).

Its general secretary Shoya Yoshida said that such actions were not only detrimental to the workers' rights but also undermined the principles of social dialogue and industrial harmony that Malaysia has long championed on the international stage.

In a letter addressed to Anwar, Yoshida said: "It has come to our urgent attention that Nube and its members are being subjected to a series of union-busting actions by several banks, led by a government-linked company, Maybank."

The ITUC urged the prime minister to investigate and address concerns regarding Human Resources Minister Steven Sim’s possible misuse of power and take steps to prevent further actions that may exacerbate the situation.

It also requested for Anwar to halt union-busting activities against Nube.

"We called upon the prime minister to direct the banks to engage in meaningful social dialogue with Nube, as stipulated in the existing collective agreement as this is essential to maintaining industrial harmony within the banking sector and ensuring the fair treatment of all employees.

"ITUC strongly recommends the establishment of an independent body tasked with conducting a thorough inquiry into the union-busting activities within the bank’s management and the Human Resources Ministry and for appropriate actions to be taken against all parties involved.

"We urge you to bring all relevant parties to the negotiation table to resolve these matters in a manner that upholds the dignity of workers and the integrity of the Malaysian banking sector. We trust that you will give this matter your immediate and serious attention," Yoshida added.

Bullying claims

Earlier this month, HSBC head of employee relations Seetha M Kumarasamy lodged a police report against Nube picketers alleging “cyberbullying” and the display of “rude and unprofessional” remarks during a recent protest.

She said the July 31 picket outside HSBC's Bukit Bintang branch saw several placards containing phrases depicting her as “mentally insane”, “stupid”, “ignorant” and “foolish” and provided photographic evidence.

Nube general secretary J Solomon refuted the claims calling them “baseless and incorrect”.

"Nube is picketing against 17 banks and HSBC is one of them involved in union-busting,” he said.

On July 21, Nube launched nationwide pickets to protest the “increasingly outrageous” ways bank chief executive officers commit union-busting.

On April 19, Nube lodged police reports against Sim for alleged abuse of power and breach of trust, claiming he had sidelined workers in favour of negotiations with their employers, represented by the Malayan Commercial Banks’ Association, for a festival aid payment.

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