Kersatuan pekerja bimbang pembentukan bank terbesar di Malaysia jejas pekerja / Merger to form Malaysia’s biggest bank may lead to job losses, says union -

Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Bank (NUBE) bimbang terhadap kesan cadangan penggabungan dua bank dan badan kewangan ke atas pekerjaan mereka kerana sehingga kini mereka tidak dirujuk.

Presiden NUBE, Tan Eng Hong melahirkan kekecewaan dengan Bank Negara kerana kesatuan tidak dipanggil berbincang mengenai perkara itu, merujuk kepada laporan berita hari ini bahawa tiga institusi kewangan  CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, RHB Capital Sdn Bhd dan Malaysia Building Society Bhd merancang untuk bergabung dan membentuk bank terbesar di Malaysia.

Beliau berkata penggabungan institusi kewangan atau bank-bank di Malaysia memerlukan kelulusan terlebih dahulu daripada bank pusat negara itu.

"Terus terang, kami agak kecewa dengan Bank Negara kerana setiap kali mereka memberi kebenaran penggabungan, mereka tidak memanggil kami untuk berbincang," kata Tan kepada The Malaysian Insider.

"Penggabungan sedemikian biasanya mempunyai akujanji bahawa pekerja institusi kewangan yang terlibat tidak akan dipindah atau diberhentikan kerja."

"Bagaimanapun, akujanji ini lebih kerap berbanding tidak, hanya untuk setahun. Berikutan itu, institusi-institusi kewangan akan mengumumkan amalan pemusatan semula."

Tan memberi contoh penggabungan 2011 antara Hong Leong Bank dan EON Bank, segala-galanya kekal status quo dalam tahun pertama operasinya.

"Selepas itu, pengurusan bank mengumumkan ia memusatkan semula cawangan bank dan jabatan," kata Tan.

"Ini menyebabkan beberapa pekerja dipindahkan dari utara ke selatan dan sebaliknya," kata beliau sambil menambah sehingga 26 orang pekerja meletak jawatan kerananya.

Menegaskan NUBE bukanlah menentang penggabungan ini, Tan berkata: "Bagaimanapun, apa yang kami bimbang adalah sama ada kakitangan bank bagi ketiga-tiga institusi kewangan terjejas."

Tan berkata, jika ketiga-tiga institusi kewangan mempunyai cawangan di lokasi yang sama, secara logiknya, satu atau dua cawangan akan ditutup.

"Apa yang akan berlaku kepada kakitangan cawangan yang ditutup? Jelas sekali, bukan semua orang boleh diserap ke dalam cawangan operasi yang tinggal."

Tan berkata, ini adalah satu sejarah yang berulang, pertindihan pasti berlaku dalam pelaksanaan penggabungan itu.

Sementara itu, Persekutuan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) Datuk N. Marimuthu (gambar) menegaskan penggabungan itu boleh dianggap sebagai monopoli dalam perkhidmatan perbankan.

"Mereka adalah tiga pertubuhan besar dan mahu bergabung. Ia boleh dilihat sebagai monopoli dalam bidang ini," katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider hari ini.

Beliau berkata, beberapa persoalan timbul berikutan pengumuman hari ini, termasuk jika pemegang saham minoriti dalam tiga entiti mendapat manfaat sewajarnya daripada penggabungan itu.

"Mereka perlu melihat perkara ini. Dan mereka juga perlu menjawab sama ada akan terus menyediakan perkhidmatan berdaya saing kepada pelanggan.

"Dan selepas ini, adakah mereka akan meningkatkan harga perkhidmatan mereka, termasuk kadar faedah pinjaman, atau ia kini turun?" katanya.

Marimuthu berkata Fomca akan memantau penggabungan tiga bank dengan teliti dan memeriksa sama ada bank-bank melindungi hak dan keperluan pengguna mereka.

"Akan ada beberapa masalah awal apabila mereka bermula tetapi pengguna perlu dilindungi dalam hal ini," katanya.

Dalam satu kenyataan berasingan, jurucakap Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) berkata, penggabungan itu masih dalam peringkat awal dan penelitian terperinci masih dilakukan.

"Bagaimanapun, KWSP akan memastikan sebarang keputusan mengenai perkara itu akan dibuat demi kepentingan ahli dan selaras dengan prinsip pelaburan dan prinsip-prinsip tadbir urus yang ketat," kata jurucakap itu kepada The Malaysian Insider hari ini.

KWSP adalah pemegang saham utama dalam RHB Cap dan MBSB dengan pegangan 40.76% dan 64.73%. Ia juga mempunyai saham sebanyak 14.46% dalam CIMB.

KWSP akan muncul sebagai pemegang saham terbesar dalam bank mega berikut penggabungan itu, dengan pegangan dianggarkan lebih daripada 25%. – 10 Julai, 2014.

sumber:::http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Merger to form Malaysia’s biggest bank may lead to job losses, says union

Malaysia's largest bank workers union are concerned that a proposed merger between two banks and a financial firm could lead to job losses, saying there should have been consultations.

The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) president Tan Eng Hong expressed disappointment with Bank Negara that the union was not consulted over the matter, referring to a news report today that the financial institutions were planning to merge and form Malaysia's biggest bank.

Tan was referring to the proposed merger of CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, RHB Capital Sdn Bhd and the Malaysia Building Society Bhd.

He said mergers of financial institutions or banks in Malaysia require prior approval from the country's central bank.

"Frankly, we are quite disappointed with Bank Negara as whenever they give their blessings to such mergers, they do not call us for a discussion," Tan told The Malaysian Insider.

"Such mergers often have undertakings that the employees of the financial institutions involved will not be transferred or laid off.

"However, these undertakings are more often than not, only applicable for a year. Following that, the financial institutions then announce re-centralising exercises."

Tan cited the 2011 merger between Hong Leong Bank and EON Bank, saying everything remained status quo in the first year of operations.

"After that, the bank management announced that it was re-centralising bank branches and departments.

"This led to some employees being transferred from north to south, and vice versa," Tan said, adding that up to 26 employees resigned during this exercise.

Tan said NUBE was not against the merger, "however, what we are concerned is whether the bank employees of these three financial institutions will be affected."

Tan said if all three financial institutions had branches in the same location, it was logical that one or two would be closed.

"What will happen to the staff of the branches which have been closed? Obviously, not everyone can be absorbed into the remaining operating branch."

Tan said this was a historical point which had been repeated time and again, saying redundancies were bound to occur in merger exercises.

Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu said the merger could be considered as a monopoly in the banking services.

"They are three big organisations and they want to merge. It can be seen as a monopoly in this field," he told The Malaysian Insider today.

He said several questions have arisen following the announcement today, including if minority shareholders in the three entities benefit accordingly from the merger.

"They will have to look into these things. And they will also have to answer whether or not they will continue to provide competitive services to their consumers.

"And after this, will they be increasing prices of their services, including interest rates of loans, or will it now go down," he said.

Marimuthu said Fomca will be monitoring the merger of the three banks closely and check if the banks are protecting the rights and needs of their consumers.

"There will be some teething problems when they start but the consumers should be protected in this," he added.

In a separate statement, an Employees Provident Fund (EPF) spokesman said the merger was still in the preliminary stage and specific details were still being thrashed out.

"However, EPF will ensure that any decisions on the matter will be made in the best interest of its members and in line with strict investment and governance principles," the spokesman told The Malaysian Insider today.

EPF is the major shareholder in both RHB Capital and MBSB with a 40.76% and 64.73% stake respectively. It also has a 14.46% share in CIMB.

EPF will emerge as the largest shareholder in the mega bank following the merger, with a stake estimated to be more than 25%.  – July 10, 2014.

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