A recalled statement by the People’s Campaign urged the public to join an “island-wide withdrawal of labour” tomorrow to protest against immigration reforms.

At 1.59pm yesterday, the pressure group sent the media the press release, announced “in solidarity” with the Immigration Reform Action Group, before withdrawing it nine minutes later.

Less than an hour later, the Bermuda Industrial Union then cancelled an “urgent” press conference at its headquarters, where union president Chris Furbert was meant to be the key speaker, having earlier rescheduled an 11am conference for 4½ hours later — both because of “unforeseen circumstances”.

The Royal Gazette attempted immediately to reach Mr Furbert and the Reverend Nicholas Tweed, of the People’s Campaign, and LaVerne Furbert, the BIU administrative assistant and People’s Campaign member, for an official response regarding the statement and the cancellations.

In an e-mail, Ms Furbert emphasised that the press release had been recalled and a corrected version would be sent “shortly”.

When contacted she declined to comment further.

Asked to specify the nature of the statement inaccuracies, the People’s Campaign declined initially to answer.

However, once it became clear that The Royal Gazette would publish, Mr Furbert and Mr Tweed contacted the paper, repeated that the retraction was because of errors, but refused to say what they were.

The communication ended as it began, with a thinly veiled threat of legal action if a story was published containing any element of the statement, which was confirmed by hand-delivered mail and e-mail.

Yesterday’s statement also praised the “extreme yet heroic” hunger strike undertaken by protester Enda Matthie outside the Sessions House.

It continued: “We are extremely concerned and saddened by the fact that sister Enda Matthie feels that [this is] the only recourse to getting the Government to hear the people.

“We join with our sister Enda Matthie, the Immigration Reform Action Group, our union brothers and sisters, and all people of goodwill in calling for an island-wide withdrawal of labour on Friday, March 11, 2016, as a show of people power and island-wide solidarity appealing to the Government to withdraw its intention to table the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 2016.”

At Monday’s House of Assembly, the Bermuda Government voted to press on with its Pathways to Status legislation, which would make it more straightforward for long-term residents to gain both permanent residency and status.

The move prompted a furious response from the Progressive Labour Party, which had insisted that the changes be decided via a bipartisan committee.

Opposition leader Marc Bean warned the “morally bankrupt” Government that it had 48 hours to withdraw the Bill.

“After that point, the One Bermuda Alliance will have involuntarily submitted themselves to the will of the people,” he said. “All hell will break loose. This is the ultimate and final appeal.”

The People’s Campaign’s recalled press release underlined the need for a bipartisan approach to comprehensive immigration reform, including a section-by-section review of the Act and a review of sections dealing with status.

Earlier yesterday, the IRAG expressed its disappointment with the Government’s refusal to alter its approach to immigration. The group called for “all workers to support” the PLP’s stance on the issue.

In a statement released in the morning, the IRAG said: “Government voted en bloc against the motion taken to the House of Assembly as a matter of Urgent Public Importance by Member of Parliament which called for the Government to appoint a Joint Select Committee to (1) examine the wide range of issues involved in comprehensive immigration reform; (2) propose for the consideration of Parliament a set of comprehensive immigration reform measures; and (3) submit its report within six months.

“The IRAG is aware that the many Bermudians who listened to the House of Assembly debate on Monday night [March 8] were saddened by the responses of the OBA members of parliament to a matter that we believe to be extremely concerning to the majority of the people of Bermuda.

“To date we have staged peaceful protests on behalf of the people of Bermuda to show our concern. However, it appears that the OBA government is not listening to the people of Bermuda, especially in light of the show of solidarity that was evidenced on Parliament Hill on Friday, March 4.

“The people of Bermuda are now aware that one woman, Enda Matthie, has decided to show her ‘solidarity with her fellow Bermudians’ on this issue and the many other issues that are plaguing Bermuda by staging a hunger strike and has camped out on the grounds of Parliament. This is unacceptable.

“The IRAG is calling on all Bermudians, in particular, the workers of Bermuda, to show their support for efforts to have the OBA government to remove the Bill entitled the ‘Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 2016’ from the Order Paper and instead, agree to a bipartisan approach to immigration reform.”