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Published on January 21, 2008

No, our readers who missed the late news published on Saturday shouldn't panic. SCB is not running into any financial difficulty or laying off staff.

Some 100 SCB employees were, in fact, protesting against the move of 1,000 staff to Chidlom. Their arguments were sound enough. These SCB employees now find it hard commuting to the new location.

The union's statement, according to an unofficial translation, reads: "We have to protest today because a number of our SCB comrades have been unfairly treated by the management. Our comrades have been pressured by many issues, salary, welfare and bonus, but the management has a very high salary. This causes an inequality and caste system in our organisation.

"Moreover, a number of our comrades have been unfairly transferred without being compensated with a travel allowance. More than 1,000 staff were transferred to Chidlom, including the loan and accounting divisions. Now they are suffering from a higher cost of living. Some comrades who have families are having trouble because of the abrupt transfer order.

"The bank's employees are suffering from rising prices for oil and consumer goods. These 1,000 staff were forced to agree to be transferred because they were told deceitfully that they would get a higher travel allowance. However, six months have passed, and nothing has happened."

The SCB union demanded the bank's management raise the staff salary by Bt1,000 each, but the demand was rejected by the bank's management on the grounds that it would affect the entire bank's financial status.

As of press time, it is unclear how this conflict will unravel, but Streetwise would like to offer its humble solution to this conflict: a monthly free BTS Skypass should come to the rescue so that SCB employees can commute to the new office at Chidlom.

They should feel smooth as silk when they ride on the Skytrain.

 

Busdsk@nationgroup.com

The Nation