Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess last night blamed CableVision's lawyer Alan Dunch for holding up progress in the dispute between the company and the union.

"There's only one person holding up this country and that one person is not a member of the BIU," Mr. Burgess said. "It's Alan Dunch. He's the one holding up the process, he's the one who in 1998 made some derogatory remarks about the PLP."

The BIU has "bent over backwards" to try to solve the dispute, said Mr. Burgess, but "CableVision, headed by Alan Dunch, refuses to budge".

Workers had agreed to unload slate from the container ship Somers Isles, even though slate was not listed as an essential item, Mr. Burgess said.

The entire ship was unloaded and dock workers were putting some empty containers back on the ship to make space on the docks, he claimed.

The Island is suffering a slate shortage due to roof damage inflicted by Hurricane Fabian.

Mr. Burgess pointed out that, despite being asked by the Premier to address an outstanding issue from a previous CableVision labour dispute, Mr. Dunch had "refused to come to the table" saying he needed more time to prepare.

The company is yet to make good on a pay increase awarded to some CableVision workers in January, 2002, Mr. Burgess said.

Mr. Burgess said he was well aware that public opinion seemed to be against the union's actions coming in the wake of Hurricane Fabian which disrupted a number of public services.

"This union cares about this country, but more importantly we care about our pride and dignity and we cannot and will not abdicate that responsibility," he said.

Asked to clarify that comment, he said: "We have bent over backwards. We want this country to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

"We have encouraged our workers to be better than they are in this process but they cannot be better if their pride and dignity is being harmed by some guest employee of this company, who has no respect for the laws and customs and practices of this country - aided by Alan Dunch."

He rebuked critics of the union, saying they had given no thought to the worker whom the union maintain was unfairly dismissed by CableVision.

"None have complained about what CableVision has done to the worker ... but they have shown compassion to Jeremy Elmas."

He said the workers had decided to return all their able boxes to the company. "That's how strong we feel about it - they are prepared to go without cable TV."

But Mr. Burgess said that the union still felt that the dispute could be resolved. Asked the union's reaction to Minister Horton's order - announced after the workers had met - Mr. Burgess said an "envelope" from the Minister had just been received.

"We received an envelope from the Minister tonight which we'll open and present to the membership."

He said: "The union is the workers and the only way they will know what is in the letter is to come to the meeting tomorrow."

Referring to Bermuda Employers Council criticism that the BIU was acting irresponsibly, Mr. Burgess said he was not surprised and did not expect the employers group to criticise CableVision.

"It's consistent with the behaviour of some employers," he said. But "not all our social partners are like that".

And asked whether he was concerned that Stevedoring Services would take out an injunction against the dockworkers, Mr. Burgess pointed out that that company was also represented by Alan Dunch.

"I'm not going to beg (Stevedoring Services manager) Mr. Lines `don't get an injunction'. They will do what they want to do," he said. "I have no disrespect for Bruce Lines.

"But Bruce Lines ain't calling the shots. It's the other fellow that's calling the shots. He's the one who's holding up the country because he wants to be big."