cleaners closed after industrial action cost them $22,000.

He reckoned Stephen Thomson sacrificed 35 jobs to cover legal fees racked up during the row over union recognition.

And he claimed Mr. Thomson had never intended giving union rights to staff at Hamilton Val Cleaners and Paget Dry Cleaners.

The Bermuda Industrial Union president also had a blunt warning for Mr.

Thomson: Do not try reopening the businesses under a different name.

"The workers have already told the BIU that that kind of behaviour is unacceptable,'' he declared.

The union will hold a general membership meeting next week to decide its next move.

Last night Mr. Thomson rejected any suggestion he closed the cleaners to pay lawyers.

He said three days of disruption and picketing resulted in $22,000 in lost business, leaving him with no option.

Union action stopped clients from coming into his businesses and meant he could not pay his staff, he added.

Mr. Thomson also took aim at Government.

"I feel let down by the Bermuda Government for picking and choosing which laws are to be upheld because that opens the door for people to question the law itself.

"The Bermuda Government played a big role in our businesses closing down.'' The dispute centres over BIU efforts for the two cleaners to be subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

Earlier this month Bermuda was hit by three days of industrial action which crippled bus, ferry and garbage collection services.

Tension was defused when Mr. Thomson, whose lawyers included Alan Dunch and Richard Hector, agreed to a union ballot at the businesses -- although a stumbling block remained over the number of employees eligible to vote.

But on Thursday, Mr. Thomson dropped his closure bombshell after talks with the BIU over a ballot.

Union criticises closures Yesterday Mr. Burgess told a Press conference: "The objective and goal of business is to make a profit. Moreover, it is known by any prudent business person that new businesses seldom, if ever, makes a profit within the first year of operation.

"And when banks lend money for new businesses, this aspect is taken into consideration. Therefore, it is amazing that businessman, Mr. Stephen Thomson, would close his doors after four weeks of operation with the excuse that he had lost $22,000 after `three days of disruption'.'' He added: "One wonders how much of that $22,000 is attributable to legal fees for Mr. Thomson's four highly paid attorneys. It is our guess that in order to pay for these lawyers, the staff simply had to be castrated.'' Mr. Burgess said the BIU contended Mr. Thomson never intended to allow the union into his establishment.

"Indeed in the 1980s, Mr. Thomson sold his Elbow Beach concession so that he would not have to recognise the union. It seems to be an open threat by some employers that if their employees seek recognition, they too will close.'' Mr. Burgess questioned how an employer could increase staff by about 50 percent and then cry poverty after cutting pay rates.

"At the same time, that same employer allows staff only three sick days per year; reduces maternity leave; demands that staff get his approval if they want to get a second job; and additionally makes overtime mandatory and at straight pay.'' He added: "This is not a person concerned about the welfare and well being of his employees.

"This is a man bent on taking away the hard fought gains of the 60s, 70s and 80s while, at the same time, trying to bust the union.'' Mr. Burgess accused Mr. Thomson of attempting to "stack the deck'' in the row over eligibility in a union ballot.

"He added to the bargaining unit ten employees who did not work at either Hamilton Val Cleaners or Paget Dry Cleaners at the same time the union requested recognition.'' Last night Mr. Thomson dismissed claims he sold his Elbow Beach concession in the 1980s rather than recognise the union.

"This is totally false,'' he said, adding Wyndham Resorts removed his lease before they took over Elbow Beach.

His staff at the concession also made front-page news by declaring they "were tired of being bullied'' by the union, he added.

"They made it clear they did not want to be unionised.'' Mr. Thomson said: "Mr. Burgess also stated that now the dry cleaning operations are closed, 35 employees are out of work.

"Why then didn't he let us ballot all of them? He offered to ballot only 20.

Why didn't they have the basic human right to cast a ballot?'' Mr. Thomson went on to defend conditions for his employees.

"About half the wages went up when I took over and half the wages went down.'' He added: "We pay six weeks maternity full-pay, and six weeks half pay, which is the equal of most businesses in Bermuda.

"We also pay one month full for father's leave. In addition, we gave 20 percent profit sharing of net profits of our business to the staff.

"Our benefits are in excess of the BIU but they encourage our staff to be efficient and productive and turn up for work.''