Ensure workers not laid off with digitalisation move, warns union

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) has warned Putrajaya that any move to encourage automation and digitalisation in the 2021 Budget must come with the right provisions to ensure workers are not retrenched.

NUBE secretary-general J Solomon said bank employees are not opposed to digitalisation, but they must have access to upskilling courses in order for them to keep their jobs in the banking sector.

“Scores of workers, especially low-wage cadre employees in several banks, including multinational banks, have been laid off under the guise of automation and digitalisation in the past.

“This must not happen to workers in the various sectors, including the SMEs which have been earmarked for the digital push under Budget 2021,” he said in a statement to FMT.
J Solomon, NUBE secretary-general.

Solomon said the allocations in the budget for digitalisation and automation will benefit businessmen and corporate players but not workers if no comprehensive policy for employees’ upskilling is drawn up.

He added that many NUBE members had lost their jobs before this when “irresponsible banks” outsourced certain jobs overseas and to other local companies.

“When the bulk of the job functions of permanent employees are outsourced, what is left for bank workers to upskill and reskill?

“The jobs are outsourced to companies for cheap labour as they refuse to pay the permanent workers what they had promised to. Eventually, they retrench the permanent workers,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that the budget covered most of the issues faced by the B40, M40 and also the business community, adding that the extension of the wage subsidy programme is important to help save jobs.

He said he was “happy” that billions of ringgit have been allocated to reskill workers, but urged the finance and human resources ministries to tighten any loopholes that could lead to corruption with the money.

“We must ensure the workers benefit absolutely from this venture which will not only help them keep their jobs but also allow them to look for fresh options. They just cannot afford to lose their jobs as this will result in socio-economic problems.

“NUBE is not against automation, all we are asking is for the affected workers to be reskilled and retrained to survive. So in this context, the RM1 billion is timely and must only be spent for this purpose.”

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Pastikan pekerja tidak diberhenti seiring langkah digitalisasi, kesatuan beri amaran

PETALING JAYA: Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja Bank (NUBE) mengingatkan Putrajaya bahawa langkah untuk menggalakkan automasi dan digitalisasi dalam Belanjawan 2021 mesti dilengkapkan dengan peruntukan tepat bagi memastikan pekerja tidak diberhentikan.

Setiausaha agungnya, J Solomon berkata, pekerja bank tidak menentang digitalisasi, tetapi mereka mesti mempunyai akses kepada kursus peningkatan kemahiran supaya mereka kekal bekerja dalam sektor perbankan.

“Banyak pekerja, terutama pegawai pelatih bergaji rendah di beberapa bank, termasuk bank multinasional, diberhentikan dengan alasan automasi dan digitalisasi pada masa lalu.

“Ini tidak boleh terjadi kepada pekerja dalam pelbagai sektor, termasuk PKS, yang disasarkanuntuk berkembang dengan langkah digitalisasi di bawah Belanjawan 2021,” katanya dalam kenyataan kepada FMT.
Setiausaha Agung NUBE, J Solomon.

Solomon berkata, peruntukan belanjawan untuk digitalisasi dan automasi akan menguntungkan peniaga dan pemain industri korporat, bukan pekerja sekiranya dasar yang komprehensif untuk peningkatan kemahiran pekerja tidak dirangka.

Tambahnya, banyak ahli NUBE kehilangan pekerjaan sebelum ini ketika “bank yang tidak bertanggungjawab” menyumberluarkan pekerjaan tertentu ke luar negara dan kepada syarikat tempatan lain.

“Apabila sebahagian besar fungsi pekerjaan bagi pekerja tetap diberi kepada sumber tenaga kerja luar, apakah yang tinggal untuk peningkatan kemahiran dan latihan semula dalam kalangan pekerja bank?

“Pekerjaan itu diserahkan kepada syarikat luar untuk mendapatkan tenaga kerja yang murah kerana mereka enggan membayar pekerja tetap seperti yang dijanjikan. Akhirnya, mereka buang pekerja tetap,” katanya.

Namun, beliau mengakui Belanjawan 2021 menangani sebahagian besar isu yang dihadapi oleh B40, M40 dan juga komuniti perniagaan, selain menambah bahawa peluasan program subsidi upah penting untuk membantu menyelamatkan pekerjaan.

Katanya, beliau “gembira” kerana berbilion-bilion ringgit diperuntukkan melatih semula pekerja, tetapi menggesa Kementerian Kewangan dan Kementerian Sumber Manusia supaya memperketatkan kelompongan yang boleh membawa kepada rasuah.

“Kita perlu pastikan pekerja mendapat manfaat sepenuhnya daripada usaha ini yang bukan sahaja membantu mereka mengekalkan pekerjaan, tetapi juga membolehkan mereka meneroka pilihan baru.

“Mereka tidak boleh hilang pekerjaan kerana ini akan mengakibatkan masalah sosio-ekonomi lain.

“NUBE tidak menolak automasi, tetapi kami meminta agar pekerja terjejas diberi latihan semula kemahiran dan dilatih semula untuk bertahan.

“Jadi dalam konteks ini, peruntukan RM1 bilion itu tepat pada masanya dan mesti dibelanjakan untuk tujuan itu.”