Bonanza for 1,300 banking sector staff in Sabah
Published on: Sunday, February 17, 2019
KOTA KINABALU: Some 1,300 bank employees in Sabah will enjoy a salary adjustment of between 10pc and 12pc following the signing of a new collective agreement between the Sabah Banking Employees’ Union and Sabah Commercial Banks Association.
Minister of Human Resources M. Kulasegaran said the 15th collective agreement, which will be effective from 2018-2020, will benefit union members from 14 banks in Sabah and Labuan.
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“I congratulate the parties, the Sabah Commercial Banks Association (SCBA) and Sabah Banking Employees’ Union (SBEU) for being professional in concluding their negotiation without any deadlock or referring to a third party for intervention. They were able to sit together and conclude this collective agreement successfully,” Kulasegaran said during a press conference before the new collective agreement was signed, here, on Friday.
The Federal Minister said he was made to understand that the new benefits in the new collective agreement includes a salary adjustment for non-clerical staff at 12pc.
“There’ll be also a salary adjustment for senior clerks and clerks at 10pc. There’ll be pilgrimage leave of seven working days for non-Muslims and Muslims,” he said.
“Staff will enjoy zero interest for the first housing loan of RM100,000. For maternity leave, they’ll be given an additional three months on half pay leave. Pregnant staff of 22 weeks can leave the office one hour before the office hour ends.
ADVERTISEMENT Female employees delivering a baby will now enjoy an increase in medical benefits worth RM1,500 for a caesarean operation and RM1,000 for normal delivery.”
Kulasegaran said the new collective agreement has brought about a new revolution in that it has agreed to encourage banks to provide a lactation room for female employees and an allowance for a disabled spouse or child.
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Employees will enjoy an increase of one day’s annual leave, increase in personal medical and family medical benefits and an increase of 10pc for other allowances.
Those already reaching their maximum salary will be able to enjoy a two-year increment, which can be translated up to a 16pc adjustment in the new maximum salary.
“I believe this agreement has provided good benefits and hope the employees will reciprocate with a higher productivity so that both bank and union will benefit,” said Kulasegaran.
“The banking industry is one of the industries affected heavily by new technology. We experience comfort and flexibility as many things can be done at your fingertips as banks have provided many facilities such as internet banking and mobile banking.
“With these advancements in technology employees need to upgrade their skills to keep up with technology advances.
We do support technological advances but at the same time job loss must be kept to a minimum by retraining these employees and make them relevant in the new environment.”
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The agreement was signed in the presence of Kulasegaran and witnessed by Malayan Commercial Banks’ Association President Nora Manaf. Signing on behalf of the SCBA were its President Liew Kui Choi and Treasurer Ngu Kan while the SBEU were represented by its President Margaret Chin and General-Secretary Catherine Jikunan. - Zam Yusa