board's refusal to go to mediation to solve a longstanding dispute.

The announcement came yesterday from Bermuda Public Services Association general secretary Eugene Blakeney during a press conference on the campus grounds which was attended by over a hundred lecturers and students.

At issue is the number of "contact hours'' lecturers have to fill each week which is felt to be "a bit too high,'' said Mr. Blakeney.

"The lecturers believe that the board is not bargaining in good faith,'' he added.

Negotiations between the BPSA and college management have failed to reach a resolution so mediation was suggested.

While management agreed with the move, the college board refused to have any part of it. Mr. Blakeney said: "The position was put to the lecturers at a meeting held yesterday, and after much discussion, it was decided that if the board is not prepared to use the services of a third party, then the lecturers have no alternative but to withdraw their labour.

"A secret ballot was taken and an overwhelming decision to strike was the result. The strike can take place at any time between now and May 5.'' A college schedule showed May 5 to be the day final student examinations start.

Lecturer Craig Simmons said: "Our contact hours, which are hours spent in the classroom, are 50 percent higher than our North American counterparts.'' He said lecturers in North American colleges might work between 12 and 14 contact hours a week but at the Bermuda College, lecturers were working anywhere between 20 and 24 contact hours. Coupled with this were the hours spent preparing for the class and following up afterwards. Then there was the time spent in meetings, in the office and doing research, he continued.

"Of late I have been logging 50 to 60 hours a week,'' said Mr. Simmons.

"We are asking to have the contact hours reduced to 16 hours with a maximum of 20.'' Mr. Blakeney said the board agreed to lower the hours to 22 per week while lecturers relaxed their stance and agreed to accept 18 so "we're not that far apart''.

However the board still refused to allow a mediator in to bridge the final gap.

Mr. Blakeney said: "It is astounding that Bermuda's only institution of higher learning should refuse the use of a third party, when they should be setting the example, especially as it is a quasi-Government institution which should be adhering to Government's policy of encouraging the use of a third party to assist the resolution of any impasse.'' He said the BPSA felt the board were "bent on clashing with the union''.

"They are not allowing their highly paid management team, headed by Dr.

George Cook, to manage without their interference.

"It is our hope that the board will change its mind and agree to a third party assisting us to resolve the outstanding issues so that a strike will be unnecessary.'' The incident is the second to hit Bermuda College this week.

On Tuesday students staged a sit-down protest against the college making a popular member of faculty, associate manager of recreation and sports facilities and programmes, Norbert Simons, redundant.

Dr. Cook agreed to meet with students on Monday morning to resolve that matter.

UNIONS UNS