Bermuda Industrial Union.

A ballot was held at the company's Laffan Street headquarters at 8 a.m.

yesterday and nine of the 15 employees who voted did so in favour of union recognition.

BIU president Derrick Burgess said meetings would now be held with company management to hammer out an agreement between the two sides.

The desire to be recognised by the union culminated with members of the service department picketing Bermuda Cablevision's offices on August 31.

Service staff said they wanted union representation because they felt the conditions they worked under were unfair.

By the end of the day management consented to the employees having a ballot.

MAN INJURED IN BLAST IMPROVES HTH AC Man injured in blast improves A Smith's Parish man injured in a household gas explosion has shown some improvement in a US hospital.

Carlton Perinchief remains heavily sedated but his status has been upgraded from critical to serious condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Perinchief, 37, suffered 90 percent burns after a gas stove exploded at his Crest View Road apartment in the early hours of August 16.

He was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and later flown to the US.

A Police investigation has been launched into the incident and Mr.

Perinchief's 28-year-old girlfriend has been interviewed as part of the inquiry.

THREE MONTH SHUTDOWN FOR CAP PARK FLY Three month shutdown for car park The long term car park at the airport will be closed for about three months from next week to allow lighting and landscaping work to be carried out.

But airport manager Mike Osborn said that engineers will be able to work around any cars that have already been left in the car park by travellers who may not be returning to the Island for several weeks.

People who wish to leave their cars at the airport for any lengthy periods will be provided with an alternative site while the work is carried out.

REMOVAL OF CAUSEWAY TO TAKE `SEVERAL WEEKS' FLY Removal of causeway to take `several weeks' It will be several weeks before the temporary causeway at Somerset Bridge disappears.

The $1 million newly refurbished bridge opened officially last week and immediately workmen moved in to start the process of dismantling the causeway.

Works and Engineering chief engineer Russell Wade said staff had already taken down the guard rails alongside the causeway, which was built in April to take traffic during the bridge's closure.

But he said it would take several weeks before the relief road was totally removed.