If Bermudian workers want to keep up with increasing globalisation and ever changing technology they have to stay on their toes educationally, according to long term Bermuda Public Service Union (BPSU) labour activists Thelma Hart and Golinda Fox.

Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Fox have more than half a century of combined experience in labour relations, but that didn?t stop either of them from going back to school to receive bachelors degrees in labour studies from the National Labour College in Silver Springs, Maryland.

?With families to maintain, and jobs during the day, we had to get up at 3 a.m. to study, because that was the only time there was quiet,? said Mrs. Fox.

The new degree is already paying off. Mrs. Fox recently left her nursing job to become a full-time BPSU union organiser. Mrs. Hart also received a promotion and is now training and research officer, and office manager at the BPSU.

?I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the administrative side,? said Mrs. Hart. ?I am also responsible for the training and development of our members.?

Mrs. Hart wants to encourage other BPSU members to follow in their footsteps and upgrade their job skills.

?The union is about to embark on a leadership programme, particularly for our shop stewards, because all shop stewards are officers of the union,? said Mrs. Hart. ?Our mission is to promote lifelong learning.?

Mrs. Hart said the BPSU receives many requests for advice from members wishing to advance their careers.

?It seems as though people are hungry for knowledge,? she said. ?We stand ready to assist in any way we can.?

The BPSU gives out annual education awards totalling $24,000 to 12 recipients, half going to people studying at the Bermuda College and the other half going to overseas study.

One of Mrs. Fox?s goals as union organiser is to educate the public about the union?s role in the workplace, and to bring the BPSU to greater prominence in the community.

?It is my intention to go out and bring more members into the union,? Mrs. Fox said. ?The workplace is becoming so stressed that there is a voice in numbers. That is the message I would give to the un-unionised areas.?

Mrs. Fox said there are a number of factors putting more stress on the Bermuda workforce including increasing globalisation and outsourcing.

?The Bermuda workforce has changed,? she said. ?The way we did business back then is not the way we do it now. The global economy is driving Bermuda?s workforce. Managers are demanding more of workers. The family is demanding more of workers. People need to learn to balance it all.?

She said there were also social pressures impacting workers including the housing crisis and increasing violence in the community.

Both women became involved with the BPSU in the 1970s. Mrs. Fox first became a union steward (a union officer) when she was working as a nurse at the hospital. Mrs. Hart was encouraged by a friend to take up the position of secretary at the BPSU.

?I joined forces with the first full time General Secretary, Eugene Blakeney,? Mrs. Hart said.

Mrs. Hart started a month after Mr. Blakeney took up the post, and she was the first Administrative Assistant there in 1980, and then, 18 years later, became the first female Assistant General Secretary.

?Mr. Blakeney and I were a two person show for the first four years before we started to grow,? she said. ?I apprenticed myself in different situations and took various workshops. I have now made a career shift to the post that I have now. I see it is an integral part of the operation. I see it as a position where I can be innovative in bringing excellence to the union.?

Since Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Fox first started in union work, the BPSU ? and unions in general ? have evolved a great deal.

?We certainly have more demands placed upon us with the global economy,? said Mrs. Hart. ?That can keep us on the spin with restructuring, and redundancies. Outsourcing is of great concern, not only to our members, but also to our union base.?

Mrs. Fox said the BPSU is working hard to keep up with Bermuda?s changing work climate.

?We have to be more collaborative with the employer,? Mrs. Fox said. ?We believe in a win-win situation, although it doesn?t always happen that way. There are times when we have to take a stand. We believe in working along with the employer and the employee. We try to find the common ground, however that doesn?t mean that if we see an injustice being done we won?t cry out unfair labour practice.?

But Mrs. Fox said her job required more diplomacy than aggression.

?It is important to build relationships,? Mrs. Hart said. ?I find that very important in today?s economy. With the relationship comes the trust and the respect for all parties.?

She said the closure of Bermuda retail icon Trimingham Brothers and the HSBC takeover of the Bank of Bermuda are examples of how things are changing on the Island.

?Workers need to consider their skill base and their traits,? said Mrs. Hart. ?They may have to make some personal changes. We are in a global scenario and you just can?t do business the same way. Certainly, you need to stay on the cutting edge so that when the different global impacts come our way the blow is softened.?

Mrs. Fox said the BPSU is about saving jobs.

?We would go to great lengths to try and save a job,? she said. ?Sometimes it may not happen, but we have tried our best. We had BTCs recent restructuring. We had many many months of talk with that. There was dialogue to try and do things so there wouldn?t be as much job loss. You have to look at all of the dynamics. That was a classic and recent example.?

Mrs. Hart said the telecommunications arena is very challenging, because it changes so quickly.

?It keeps you hopping,? she said. ?You have to have a working knowledge of the industry. Changes in the telecommunications industry are just so rapid.?

Mrs. Fox said there is sometimes negativity in the community associated with unions. She said it is either caused by disillusionment, or fear of reprisal.

?I find some workers seem to be very iffy about whether or not the union can benefit them,? said Mrs. Fox. ?They are constantly looking at the win factor ? ?what is in it for me?. There is a lot in it for them. With collective action you have a stronger voice. You can make a difference standing together.?

Mrs. Fox said there are people who want to join the union but are afraid to.

?There is a lot of education that needs to go on,? said Mrs. Fox. ?They need to know that the law protects their right to join a union. We have the constitution of Bermuda and we have the Trade Union Act.

?It is just a matter of making them aware of what they can do, and do without fear of reprisal. I think it is important to say that trade union rights are human rights.?

Mrs. Hart said the fundamental principals of unionism are unity and solidarity.

?We are an independent organisation,? she said. ?We belong to the members, first and foremost. Without them there is no union. We stand on the pillars of democracy. If people could understand that then they could see the value of the union in the workplace and in society.?

Mrs. Fox said the BPSU?s mandate often goes beyond the workplace. When a worker comes in with non-workplace issues, they are referred to the right services.

?In the role of being a trade unionist, many times you feel like a social worker because of the dynamics of our society, particularly with housing,? said Mrs. Hart. ?You will get members feeling very frustrated. You have to be empathetic and try to walk them through these pressures.?

Mrs. Hart said she loves her job, and often finds it difficult to leave work before dark.

?I get great joy from helping to weave the quilt of unionism and making Bermuda successful,? she said.

Mrs. Fox also said she enjoys what she does and takes pride in her work.

?I am very proud to stand up for the rights of others,? she said. ?Not just in trade unions ? whenever there is an injustice I have spoken out and taken part. We are just women of labour. We are mothers and we are wives.?