Business · Malaysia Bureau
Court upholds ban on union statements and pickets in banking dispute
Malaysia's High Court in Kuala Lumpur has upheld the Industrial Court's decision to restrict the National Union of Bank Employees from making public statements or staging demonstrations. The ruling protects ongoing legal proceedings between the union and a banking institution.
LSN Malaysia ·
The High Court dismissed an appeal by the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) against an earlier Industrial Court order that prohibits the union from issuing statements or conducting pickets related to its dispute with a bank.
The decision upholds restrictions designed to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of the labour dispute proceedings. The Industrial Court had determined that such restrictions were necessary to protect the legal process from external pressure and public interference.
The ruling represents a significant setback for NUBE's efforts to mobilise public support for its position in the ongoing industrial relations matter. The union had sought to overturn the gag order through the appellate process but was unsuccessful in convincing the High Court to reverse the lower tribunal's decision.
The case underscores the tension between workers' rights to free expression and peaceful assembly, and the courts' authority to impose restrictions during active labour disputes to ensure fair proceedings. Industrial relations experts note that such orders are issued sparingly and typically only when courts determine there is a genuine risk of prejudice to the dispute resolution process.