don't carry a Bermudian's opinion on foreigners. It's an issue guaranteeing controversy. Raymond Hainey reports By Raymond Hainey The number of foreign workers in Bermuda is a traditional hot potato in Island politics.

And both parties have been trying to balance the scales between needed expertise, booming international business and the rights of Bermudians.

But both the UBP and the PLP claim their formula for the future is the right one.

And the PLP's Immigration spokesman Alex Scott insisted that the UBP have stolen his party's clothes -- although Mr. Scott claimed it's all talk and no action.

Immigration Minister Maxwell Burgess said: "The UBP is pro creation of jobs because we believe that the creation of jobs is the creation of opportunities for Bermudians.

"To that end, we encourage foreign enterprise to create these jobs -- which is something which shouldn't be taken for granted.'' And he claimed: "Now, while the rest of the world is worried about finding a job, Bermudians are talking about which jobs they will do.

"The UBP policy is the creation of jobs, then Bermudians in these jobs first -- with the recognition that, to the extent we require extra help, we seek the very best to assist us.'' Mr. Burgess said that the Island did not become one of the world's leading reinsurance centres by accident.

"To do that, we need the best of Bermuda together with the best we can attract from around the world.'' And he dismissed claims that overseas workers `stole' jobs from Bermudians.

He said Bermuda had around 7,000 work permits on the Island -- but that the Bermudian unemployed accounted for only a fraction of that number.

Mr. Burgess added: "The second thing is that Bermudians aren't working at the level they could be employed at -- I recognise that and I propose to tackle it with full vigour.'' He said Bermudians could be boosted up the corporate ladder through an emphasis on training and with more follow-up programmes -- and that business sector was behind his plans.

But he insisted: "We recognise that there isn't any job to complain about until that job is generated.'' And he accused the PLP of complacency and assuming jobs would remain in Bermuda "no matter what.'' But he said: "That certainly isn't true -- they're in denial when they take a job for granted and the creation of a job for granted.'' Mr. Burgess added that expatriate workers -- as in the recession of the early 90s -- were a buffer for Bermudians as overseas employees went first.

And he said: "Let me say this -- if Bermudians had every job in the Island what would our children be coming home to when they leave school? "I see in some ways, the foreign workforce is a pool for future jobs for qualified Bermudians.'' The UBP is traditionally seen as being in with big business, while the PLP is seen as the defender of the working man and woman.

But Mr. Burgess insisted that the UBP took the middle road and avoided extreme positions.

He said: "Anyone who is at one end of the scale or the other isn't getting the balance right.

"Having the experience at one end and not the other -- nothing would drive away business faster.

"Extremism...will lead to an unhappy workforce.'' Mr. Scott, however, said the Bermudian jobless rate was far higher than the UBP allowed -- and that his party had undertaken to accurately assess the unemployment rate.

He added: "They are parroting our position -- but they don't do it in practice. We get daily confirmation of that.'' And he claimed: "The UBP are adopting our position in public, but in private they continue to give Bermudian jobs to non-Bermudians.

"They continually allow individuals to be brought in here without any particular skills to be put into positions.'' But Mr. Scott said the PLP would increase the number of Immigration inspectors to "give teeth'' to the department and cut down on irregularities.

And he took aim at Mr. Burgess' statement that Bermudians were not working at the levels they could be.

Mr. Scott said that the Bermudian job share had been eroded by non-Bermudian labour.

He added: "They've been the Government for 30 years -- it's fine they're saying they're going to tackle it, but when?'' He said he had one case of a foreign worker with a permit to be a waiter being promoted to assistant maitre d' without the proper qualifications and without the job being advertised.

Mr. Scott said: "This is the sort of thing we would not countenance and the sort of thing we would follow up.'' And he dismissed claims that the PLP could not effectively run good labour relations.

Mr. Scott said he had worked in public relations for years -- and was used to dealing with top executives, at home and abroad.

He added: "We understand the need for a framework of being able to sit down and negotiate in order to have some kind of protection for Bermudians.'' The United Bermuda Party's Election manifesto trumpets that four out of five jobs on the Island are held by Bermudians.

It added: "The goal is to improve the quality of jobs that are held by Bermudians, whether in the trades, business, or the professions. We share and support their desire to work hard, gain experience and move up the career ladder.'' The UBP claims that its scholarship, loan and bursary programmes are doing the job in preparing young Bermudians for the top jobs.

And the manifesto said initiatives to train and re-train workers would produce results as well.

The PLP platform pledged to work with the private sector to "ensure a trained workforce is the mainstay of our economy.'' It added that it would encourage the business sector to "seek out and employ Bermudians in all sectors of the economy'' -- but admitted key executives in international business may have to come from outside Bermuda.

The PLP would also establish a Fair Employer/Employee Programme to "bring together new entrants in the labour force with potential employers.'' And the party's manifesto said a PLP Government would "establish a training programme in conjunction with the work permit system.'' Maxwell Burgess Alex Scott