As we understand it, the dispute surrounds payments for overtime call-outs which overlap regular mealtimes. Management says the collective bargaining agreement states that a call-out is valid until a job, however long, is finished. Workers argue that a second call-out period for a minimum of two hours pay at $40 an hour, is activated following a meal hour.

Stevedoring Services said the workers had refused to do overtime and threatened an injunction against the dock workers after which it was stated that an overtime ban would be lifted. Now it seems that some individual workers telephone in and state, as they are allowed to do, that they are not available for overtime. However that is not being used as a general ban.

Bermuda Industrial Union President Derrick Burgess has been quoted as saying: "They (the workers) are not breaching the agreement. The agreement is quite clear, if they do not want to work overtime they have to inform their employer two hours prior to the start of the work that they can't make it. Overtime is not compulsory and they are working their normal hours.'' The problem is that while overtime is not compulsory, it is usual, and it has been taken for granted for years as necessary to get the job done on the docks.

Bermuda is a country which imports practically everything. These ships are, in fact, national supply ships. Employers and dock workers know that docks problems interrupt the free and organised flow of goods to the local market and can disrupt everyone's shopping. But, more than that, if dock stoppages go on very long, they result in suppliers using air freight which adds to the price of goods to the consumers and that means everyone.

Mr. Burgess has been quoted as saying that the issue has been going on for 25 years and that sometimes you have to stand up for principles. That is probably true and the public will doubtless be asking why this action, especially as the issue is 25 years old, is taking place now. It seems that Stevedoring Services has decided to revert to a strict reading of the collective agreement, having allowed a second call-out period of a minimum of two hours to be activated following meal hour for a great many years. That practice is now the custom.

It seems to us that if there is ambiguity in the collective agreement or if the collective agreement is not in accord with what has become the custom, then the two sides should sit down and work it out without industrial action.

Isn't it something which should have been sorted out along with the last collective agreement? After 25 years it is something which could well wait for next year's collective agreement bargaining process.

We think that BIU and employer relations in Bermuda have shown a marked improvement of late. That improvement is best for Bermuda and Stevedoring Services must be careful not to turn that improvement around. The BIU is making a good effort and employers must do the same. By now all of Bermuda and both sides to any dispute should have learned from the problems in tourism that the best solution for the Country is to talk and negotiate without disruption.