The Bermuda Employers Council yesterday expressed satisfaction with the open relationship it is having with the new Government.

BEC President Gerald Simons in an opening address at the Council's annual general meeting at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel, revealed that access to relevant Government ministers and the Government's willingness to hear its point of view were the two primary concerns of the BEC when the Progressive Labour Party formed the Government.

But he happily reported yesterday that the BEC's worries had proved unwarranted.

"We have been successful in gaining access to Government ministers,'' he said. "I refer particularly to the Minister of Finance and the Minister responsible for Labour, whose portfolios most directly affect the Bermuda Employers Council.'' Mr. Simons added that ready access was also enjoyed with the Minister of Development Opportunities and Government Services.

"Over the past year we have had several meetings and lunches with appropriate Government ministers,'' he added.

Saying that he understood the impracticality of total Government compliance with the BEC's views, Mr. Simons appeared satisfied there had been "some degree of success''.

"Sadly the Government in its wisdom did not agree 100 percent with everything we put forward,'' he said. "It is only fair to note that the previous government which allegedly was more favourable towards business and employers, did not accept all of the things we had as employers, proposed,'' he added.

Pointing out that they were furnished with the draft amendments to the Pensions Act, Mr. Simons said he was pleased to report that concerns they had expressed on overtime and bonuses had been adopted.

"I am pleased to report the Government has responded to some of our concerns,'' he said.

"In particular, the requirement to include overtime in the definition of pensionable earnings, has been modified so that overtime in excess of a regular work week of 35 hours, is excluded from the definition.

"Government has also limited the degree to which bonuses are included in the definition of pensionable earnings.

"Specifically, small bonuses, bonuses of less than 10 percent of base pay do not form part of pensionable earnings, but larger bonuses over 10 percent of base pay will be a part,'' he noted.

BEC pleased with PLP Mr. Simons also revealed that the BEC was looking forward to new employment legislation aimed at ridding the workplace of racial discrimination.

"We look forward to the New Year because we expect legislation requiring us to monitor our compliance with the objectives of CURE,'' he said. But he also expressed concern that the large number of irresponsible companies who have made the legislation necessary, have also caused mistrust in "major companies who are already compliant with the spirit, if not the entire detail of the law.'' "I am very concerned about a large number of companies, not members of the Bermuda Employers Council in many instances, who openly violate the law, ignore it, or pay little attention to it,'' he said.

Urging the Government not to be to keen on regulating business practices in Bermuda Mr. Simons said: "I would hope that we would take that more relaxed approach as we go forward in regulating the affairs of Bermudian individuals and companies, because I believe the Bermudian approach is not only more effective but it is also far less expensive.

"Given the shortage of talented manpower, I think our human resources would be better used working in businesses than working in offices overseeing businesses.

"Our success as an international jurisdiction has come about because of lack of bureaucratic regulation.''