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BANK workers from all over the country held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Human Resources Ministry in Putrajaya today in conjunction with Labour Day.
The rally which began at 10am was themed 'Voice of the Voiceless’ and was to demand justice, accountability, and the restoration of trade union rights.
NUBE general secretary J. Solomon alleged that the Human Resources Minister held secret negotiations with banks that deprived 15,000 bank employees from the B40 and M40 groups of their rightful one-month Festival Aid for 2024 onwards.
He also claimed that the minister violated local laws and International Labour Standards of NUBE'ss rightful bargaining rights by referring the 20th Collective Agreement to the Industrial Court knowing that the employers did not convene a negotiation meeting.
Solomon claimed that the minister had also ignored complaints of workplace harassment.
"Such discriminative interference reflects a troubling disregard for workers protection and a failure to uphold the responsibilities of trade unions to defend their members.
"It is particularly disheartening for members that the minister, who is supposed to advocate for workers' rights, had colluded with banks to stifle union activities and has ignored NUBE's letters and formal requests," he said in a statement.
The rally was also to send a strong message to the Unity Government that these actions violate Malaysian labour laws and contravene International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards regarding freedom of association and collective bargaining. – May 1, 2025