US Congressman Bennie Thompson last night said his own country could learn much from the way unions and bosses co-operate in Bermuda.

Congressman Thompson, the keynote speaker at Bermuda Industrial Union's 26th annual Labour Day Banquet at the Fairmont Southampton, said the only way forward was for workers and their employers to work together to tackle issues which affect them.

He said this was something which was done well on the Island, but not in America. "United we stand, divided we fall," he told The Royal Gazette. "I happen to be a pro labour union person in the States. I have seen workers when they stick together. I have seen the horrors when we don't stick together in terms of benefits, salaries or retirements, a lot of things, a lot.

"For me to come and speak to the union in Bermuda is tremendous. Workers and employers for the most part get along here. We are not quite as agreeable in the States. Many times, labour and management are at war with each other.

"Now I can perhaps learn from people here what their secret is and I can take it back." Congressman Thompson is serving his eighth term as the Democratic Congressman for Mississippi's Second District and is currently chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. He has dedicated the past four decades of his life to continuous public service, and is the longest serving African-American elected official in the state of Mississippi.

In his role as chairman, he recently introduced and engineered House passage of the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act, the most comprehensive homeland security package since September 11, 2001.

The Congressman said he was proud to be invited to speak at last night's event, which attracted a large collection of leading politicians and well-known faces from across Bermuda's community among a crowd of hundreds.

Those present included Premier Ewart Brown, Deputy Premier Paula Cox, Ministers Randy Horton, Michael Scott and Dale Butler, Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley and one of his predecessors Grant Gibbons, Senators Davida Morris and Kim Swan, US Consul General Gregory Slayton, well-known lawyer Rick Woolridge and Bermuda Public Services Union leader Ed Ball.

Premier Brown said: "Politics in Bermuda — life in Bermuda — benefits greatly from the labour movement.

"My uncle was one of the founders of Bermuda Workers Association (the fore-runner to BIU), W.G. Brown. He always talked about the importance of labour movement and trade unions. Bermuda owes a great debt of gratitude to the labour movement and the unions."

BIU president Chris Furbert said: "We see this banquet as a way of starting the weekend of celebrations for Labour Day, showing our appreciation not just for workers, but for everybody."