Banks Festival Aid Doesn T Extend Beyond 2023 Says Hr Ministry

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The National Union of Bank Employees had accused human resources minister Steven Sim of being in cahoots with the banks. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Bank Employees’ (NUBE) demand that banks provide their workers a month’s salary in festival aid is only based on a memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed last year, says the human resources ministry.
The ministry said while the 2023 MoA stipulates that banks need to pay their workers a month’s salary in festival aid for that year, the Malaysian Commercial Banks Association (MCBA) had refused to accede to NUBE’s demand as the MoA does not promise any aid for 2024.
“(According to the MoA) payments of festival aid for the following years (after 2023) will be reviewed,” it said in a statement.
The ministry said that after its minister, Steven Sim, offered to help untangle the situation and gave his views, the banks have agreed to give their workers half a month’s salary in festival aid.
However, it also said that NUBE then accused Sim of being in cahoots with the banks.
At a press conference this morning, NUBE had condemned the decision by Sim and MCBA to pay clerical staff half a month’s salary in festival aid, instead of a full month’s salary as was done in 2023.
Saying that 90% of the 15,000 NUBE members were affected by the decision, NUBE general secretary J Solomon defended the MoA, which he claimed was not restricted to 2023.
“It doesn’t say it’s only valid for one year. It says that it will be reviewed by parties the following year, in this case depending on whether the banks are making a profit.
“If you want to review the payments, the right thing to do instead of paying a month’s salary is to pay two months’ salary, because there are banks in Indonesia that pay two months’ salary in festival aid,” he said.
Solomon said NUBE members were disappointed with Sim, who has only been in office for 100 days, and urged him to resign if he fails to mend the situation to their satisfaction. - FMT

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