KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 ― Some 1,500 clerical and non-clerical Sabah bank employees can expect to receive a pay rise between 10 and 12 per cent this year following the signing of a new collective agreement (CA) between the workers’ union and the Sabah Commercial Banks' Association (SCBA).

The move will enable clerks in 13 members of the SCBA to get a minimum wage of RM1,563 and salary hikes of up to RM4,089, The Borneo Post reported today, adding that the adjustments were 70 per cent and 111 per cent higher than the market in Sabah.

"The overall average increase from the salary revision and the regional allowance in this CA is much higher than that offered by the private sector in Sabah and well above CPI increase in Sabah of about 5.8 per cent for the period from 2012 to 2014," Nora Abd Manaf, president of the Malayan Commercial Banks Association was quoted as saying.

Nora was also reported saying the gross salary increase for most employees were between 12 and 14 per cent if the Sabah Regional Allowance was counted.

The CA will also see a 16 per cent increase in allocation for medical benefits for family revised from RM1,550 to RM1,800 a year, childcare subsidy increased from RM600 to RM840 and group personal insurance coverage revised from RM110,000 to RM130,000

The 14th CA covers the years 2015 to 2017 and was signed between SCBA president Liew Kui Choi and SBEU president Margaret Chin and secretary Lo Mei Hwa in Kota Kinabalu recently.

"The 14th CA has provided greater focus on employees’ welfare and benefits, especially in the current economic environment. We saw greater maturity and understanding by both parties towards the conclusion of the CA. We thank all parties for the professionalism shown," Liew was quoted as saying.