THE National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) has welcomed the women, family, and community development minister’s announcement that the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) would be enhanced to effectively combat workplace sexual harassment.
Its general secretary, J. Solomon, in a statement said Nube has been pursuing fair and equal treatment for all bank employees, regardless of age, sex, or race, and this move was 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,” he said.
Yesterday, Nancy proposed that the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 be amended.
In highlighting the need for laws on sexual harassment to be extended to include organisational responsibility, she said the current laws were primarily focused on individuals, whereas there were gaps when it came to holding organisations accountable for the misconduct.
“We need to amend the existing legislation to ensure that organisations can be held liable if they fail to address the sexual harassment cases,” she had said.
The Santubong MP shared this concern following a recent probe 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 supported the minister’s call for victims of sexual harassment to report their cases to ensure prompt action and to not to suffer in silence.
“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 said.
Nube also commended the police for their swift action in completing investigations on the bank operations officer in Bercham, Ipoh who was 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,” Solomon said.
He added that Nube remained committed to ensuring justice and promoting a safe, respectful workplace for all employees and was willing to work with the ministry to achieve its objectives. – September 2, 2024.
