History Of SBEU

In the 1950's and sixties, bank employees have to work under appalling conditions for as little as $120 per month. They are not allowed to claim overtime even though they worked until the wee hour of the mornings.

They endured this torture for more than 20 years, why? Because they have no Union to protect them and to fight for their rights.

Finally, they decided enough is enough. On 15/4/1964, 71 employees of Chartered Bank, Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corpn., Overseas Chinese Banking Corpn. and Hock Hua Bank got together and formed the Kuching Bank Employees' Union.

From this humble beginning, Kuching Bank Employees' Union expanded to cover the stat of Sarawak and the Sarawak Bank Employees' Union was registered on 22nd September 1966.

Through the initial years, these members faced countless obstacles, frustrations and even ridicule from their own colleagues.

However because of their courage to face the challenge, the solidarity of each and every member, and the tremendous sacrifice of the leaders, bank employees in Sarawak now enjoy a high standard of living and a respectable job. Most importantly, Bank employees enjoy the right to determine their own future.

For the past 35 years SBEU has achieved tremendous progress.

Today we have more than 3000 members and have accorded recognition by all 15 commercial banks in Sarawak. We represent 99% of eligible employees in commercial banks in Sarawak.

In 1992, we obtained approval from the Director General of Trade Unions to recruit members from bank-owned finance companies. By 1994 SBEU has organized all 500 eligible employees of the 10 Bank-owned Finance Companies in Sarawak. The Management of the Finance Companies accorded recognation as soon as our claim were filed in.

SBEU intends to organize the officers soon. SBEU is now organizing the non-executive officers in the banks and finances companies.

SBEU is now the largest private sector Union in Sarawak and our membership has doubled during the past 5 years.