PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) has welcomed the recent announcement by the Women, Family, and Community Development Minister to amend the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) to enhance its effectiveness in combating workplace sexual harassment.
In a statement, today, the union stated that it has been pursuing fair and equal treatment for all bank employees, regardless of age, sex, or race, and this move is certainly a step in the right direction.
“NUBE applauds the efforts by Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri to address existing weaknesses in the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) and, if necessary, to introduce stricter laws.
“It is indeed timely that organisations are held accountable for acts of sexual harassment occurring within the workplace, not just the individuals responsible. This would undoubtedly lead to greater accountability and a much safer and healthier work environment for all,“ said its general secretary J. Solomon.
Yesterday, Nancy proposed that the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 be amended.
In highlighting the need for the laws on sexual harassment to be extended to include organisational responsibility, Nancy said current laws are primarily focused on individuals, whereas there are gaps when it comes to holding organisations accountable for the misconduct.
“We need to amend the existing legislation to ensure organisations can be held liable if they fail to address the sexual harassment cases,” she was reported as saying.
Nancy who is also Santubong MP shared this concern following a recent investigation into a senior bank officer in Perak who was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2021, with the bank denying the allegations.
Solomon said the union also supports her call for victims of sexual harassment to report their cases to ensure prompt action and not to suffer in silence.
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“We urge all our members to take this matter seriously. Do not remain silent or suffer alone.
“Report any such incidents, and NUBE will stand with you to bring them to the authorities to ensure justice prevails,“ he added.
Additionally, NUBE also commended the police for their swift action in completing investigations on the bank operations officer in Bercham, Ipoh, who is accused of sexually harassing a female colleague.
“We thank Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris for acting so promptly on the report by our union member, and we are confident that justice will prevail,“ he said.
He added that NUBE remains committed to ensuring justice and promoting a safe, respectful workplace for all employees and is willing to work with the ministry to achieve their objectives.
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