encouraged by their talks.

But most warned the National Retreat on the Structure of Labour Law in Bermuda will not in itself thaw the often chilly relations between the two camps.

"It's not the panacea for curing all evils,'' said Mr. Malcolm Dixon, executive director of the Bermuda Employers' Council. This summer "there will still be people who may do certain things, and then there should not necessarily be people disappointed who say this conference has not worked''.

Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP, head of the Bermuda Industrial Union, said "something was accomplished'', but only time would tell what effects the summit had.

"There are perhaps more areas of agreement than disagreement, (but) the problem is that in the area of disagreement, there is no real movement as a result of this, at all,'' Mr. Simmons said.

The BIU is threatening a three-day strike at Elbow Beach Hotel over a contract dispute, and that "remains unchanged'', he said. "I don't think the two and a half days has made any impact on the management there.'' The closed-door meeting at the Princess Hotel brought together 50 top officials from business, labour, and Government.

Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman was the most upbeat of all. "It was extremely timely,'' he said. "We had reached a point where it was imperative, in my opinion, that we sit down as a broad group and develop a vision.

"I look forward to continuing immediately with the momentum.'' A new role for the Labour Advisory Council could be one outcome. Mr. Pearman said he planned to call a meeting of the council early next week to build on the summit's progress.

He credited facilitators from Michigan State University for opening a dialogue that exposed "the underlying issues that affect our attitudes ... from racism to lack of training''.

"Although I've heard expressions about racism, for the first time ever it was put in a way that made me appreciate that it does affect the way people think and relate to one another, even in the working environment,'' he said.

Mr. Milton Scott, organiser of the 700-member Amalgamated Bermuda Union of Teachers, said labour had said for years that institutionalised racism must be addressed, but "Government has been saying there is no such problem in Bermuda''.

At the conference, "there seemed to be a general acknowledgement that it exists'', Mr. Scott said.

Union decertification, and whether there should be legal and lasting recognition of union representation once a collective bargaining agreement is in place, was also discussed.

"It was a good start, from which we can embark on better industrial relations.'' Mr. John Harvey, chief executive officer of the Hotel Employers of Bermuda, said the consensus was that Bermuda does have industrial problems, but they can be solved through working together.

"The talk was fine, but it remains to be seen whether words will be put into action,'' he said. "We need to build a lot of bridges that have been burned.'' Mr. John Jefferis, managing director of the Elbow Beach Hotel, said it was "the best labour seminar I've been to in 20 years''. But he would not comment on whether it would affect the current dispute at the Paget hotel.

Facilitator Dr. Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld of Michigan State University said: "What's happened here has been a unique historic event.

"It is rare for the major leaders from labour, management and Government in a country to gather together for the express purpose of examining and improving the labour relations system.'' But some participants felt the word "historic'' was too strong.