Another Labour Day holiday has been celebrated in Bermuda. As usual, the big highlight was the Labour Day march. It started at Union Square where the Bermuda Industrial Union is headquartered, and proceeded through Hamilton to Bernard Park for speeches delivered by by Premier Ewart Brown, Minister of Labour David Burch, Opposition Leader Kim Swan and various other union leaders.

The social highlight of the long weekend was the 27th annual BIU Labour Day banquet, presided over this year by the president of the postal division, Larry Holder.

In keeping with tradition, union leaders focused on issues pertinent to the organised labour movement in the island, and paid tribute to people who have made significant contributions along the way.

Signally recognised for his dedication and contributions to the labour movement was Bro. Eugene Blakeney.

For nearly two decades he was an organiser and assistant general secretary of the BIU. In 1978 he was recruited by the fledgling Public Services Association to be its chief operating officer, a position he held for 19 years before going into retirement.

Also honoured were 15 workers who had played significant roles as shop stewards and officers in various BIU divisions on the waterfront, hospitals, hotels, public works and so on.

Note was also taken of the passing during the year of two dedicated trade unionists, Bro. Kerwin Ratteray of the construction division on March 8, and Bro. Lionel Pearman, editor of the BIU's Workers Voice newspaper a month later.

Keynote speakers at the banquet were the Rev. Lanel Guyton, pastor of St. Paul AME Church in Hamilton, and Government Senator Marc Bean.

BIU president Chris Furbert, in his annual Labour Day message, emphasised the various roles the unions, Government and employers must play in developing a true tripartite relationship.

Stressing the importance of ongoing communications between the partners, the president said over the past 26 years of having been at or near the forefront of industrial disputes, it was his experience that many serious confrontations occurred because the tripartite partners were not meeting regularly to discuss decisions or emerging trends.

"The leadership of Bermuda's unions is fully aware that the business sector is vitally important in effecting the efficient creation of goods and services. We know that without intelligent and efficient business leadership we could not compete with other islands. However, we sometimes forget that a trained and committed workforce is at least equal in importance if we are to remain competitive in the global community."

Mr. Furbert added: "We often hear managers referring to their workers as if they were an inconvenience, and workers referring to managers as something they could do without.

"Clearly, both views would be totally destructive if either party took these conclusions to their ultimate limit. Industrial disputes would be rampant and would no doubt end up with unprovoked firings and wildcat strikes often at the peak of business activity.

"That scenario was once common in the field of Bermuda's industrial relations. However, today such occurrences are rare if not totally absent in most industries.

"I maintain that in cases in which these occurrences are, in fact, rare, it is because employers and unions meet regularly to discuss issues of potential conflict," the BIU leader declared.

He said it was important for all parties, Government, employers and unions to understand that in order to have good industrial relations "we must make certain that honesty, mutual respect and trust continue to improve the industrial relations climate".