This comes after the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) and UNI Global Union filed a formal complaint against HSBC Malaysia, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings Plc in the UK, to the country’s National Contact Point (UKNCP).
The UKNCP is a body responsible for promoting Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for multinational enterprises.
In their complaint, the unions accused HSBC Malaysia of deliberately delaying negotiations during collective bargaining, harassing and victimising NUBE members, denying union members’ access to work and union meetings, failing to engage in dispute resolution proceedings with NUBE, and outsourcing processes that led to a loss of employment.
In a statement today, NUBE said the UKNCP had decided to accept their representation after finding some of their grouses were valid.
“The complaint will go forward for further examination or mediation. NUBE welcomes the decision which directly indicates that there is a strong basis for the complaint made to the UKNCP,” said NUBE secretary-general J Solomon.
He added they will provide further cooperation to the UKNCP.
The UKNCP, in its initial assessment on the matter, stressed that the decision to accept some of the grouses against HSBC Malaysia was not a finding against the bank, nor does it mean the UKNCP now considers HSBC Malaysia as having acted inconsistently with labour guidelines.
In a statement, HSBC Malaysia said some of the issues presented to the UKNCP were currently under review by the courts and the human resources ministry.
“HSBC will continue to be bound by the applicable legal and legislative process.
“We take these matters very seriously. As such, we feel it’s appropriate, and in the best interests of all parties, to conclude the existing Malaysia-based mediation and judicial review before embarking on further and separate mediation.”
HSBC Malaysia also said it was creating new roles and changing current ones, and redeploying people into new roles.
It said where this was not possible, it would offer above-market voluntary separation schemes, further job transition training and outplacement support.