a change, should be transferred to the Bermuda International Airport, an independent senator said yesterday.

Sen. Norma Astwood (Ind) made this suggestion during the Upper House debate on the Labour Relations Amendment Act 1995.

She said those Bermudian senior civil servants who were doing an excellent job and had reached the top of their field should be given the opportunity to transfer their skills, if that was their wish, to management of the Airport.

"I'd like to see Government look at the aspirations, achievements and attainments of those civil servants who can't go much further,'' she said.

Sen. Astwood said those civil servants without any chance of further upward mobility could be hired in at least five separate departments at the Airport.

And she called on Government to explore this possibility.

Government Senate Leader the Hon. Gerald Simons said June 1, 1995, when Bermuda assumed full responsibility for the Airport, was an historic day for the Island.

Previously, Government took care of the buildings that housed the Civil Air Terminal but now its responsibilities included the weather service, airport security and infrastructure, ground electric maintenance and crash fire and rescue.

Sen. Simons said the reason for the amendment was to include some of these operations under the banner of "essential services.'' He said there needed to be a balance struck between the rights of workers and employers to take industrial action and the broader society that required these services.

Opposition Senate leader Sen. Milton Scott said the issues of further privatisation of Airport services and salaries concerned him.

Regarding salaries, he said workers who accepted jobs were limiting their collective bargaining positions.

And this, ultimately, was a bad position to be starting out from if they ever hoped to have good industrial relations.

"Privatisation does cause me concern,'' he said. "There may not be enough checks and balances to ensure individuals will get a fair shake. The Airport should remain in public hands.'' Sen. Scott said the Bermuda Regiment could assume a greater role in providing airport security.

To do this they could allow more full-time soldiers because this would allow recruits the chance to aspire to more realistic careers during their service.

Sen. Scott said he wanted to know what condition the bridges were in because he did not want to see any more visitors or residents having to carry their own bags over the bridge due to a malfunction.

He said a clearer definition of an "essential service'' had not been spelt out in the legislation and this was a weakness.

Sen. Larry Scott (UBP) said the bill's essential concern was to ensure the uninterrupted "smooth and efficient'' operation of the Airport.

"We can never have the Airport come to a halt due to industrial relations,'' he said. "The normal adversarial approach can be used no longer. We need a fresh approach to be engendered.'' He said the Airport represented "fresh, new, virgin, territory'' and this required a new approach from both sides.

Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) said he was pleased to see the successful turnover of the Airport to Government control and stressed the need for Government, management and the unions to work together to negotiate conflicts.

But Sen. Terry Lister (PLP)said the recent history of negotiations showed an unwillingness of parties to negotiate until the contract deadline had passed.

He said it was important that wages are settled before any contracts are signed so "hard-line bargaining'' would not be necessary later.

Sen. Simons , however, said it was difficult to determine wages in a brand new service and he pointed out that once concerns about wages were made known, Serco addressed them satisfactorily.

The demands of keeping employees happy often conflicted with Bermuda's need to remain competitive.

Sen. Simons said there were many services that were in private hands at the Airport, but as a whole, the Airport operation was accountable to Government.

The bill was then passed.

Sen. Norma Astwood Sen. Milton Scott The Hon. Gerald Simons