In mid-September 2021, the UK’s National Contact Point (NCP) for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) agreed to accept the complaints by the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) Malaysia and UNI Global Union against HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd for its unfair treatment of bank workers.
In July, NUBE lodged 93 reports against HSBC Bank Malaysia chief executive officer Stuart Milne for retrenching workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
NUBE Secretary-General J. Solomon said HSBC has breached six guidelines by deliberately delaying negotiations during collective bargaining; harassing and victimising NUBE members and union representatives for their participation in industrial action; denying union representatives entry to workplaces for the purpose of meeting union members; failing to appropriately engage in dispute resolution proceedings; undertaking an outsourcing process, including “forced” voluntary and mutual separation, and failing to consult with NUBE ahead of this process; and denying NUBE members and employees access to their workstations and work.
He said his organisation was forced to bring the issue to the attention of the UK NCP after local authorities failed to help find solutions to issues raised in the past years.
