Accusing their managers and foreign colleagues of racism, incompetence and unfairness, Cablevision workers downed tools yesterday in an effort to force resolutions to a long list of issues.

By the end of the day, Cablevision issued a statement saying the issues had been resolved and the workers had agreed to go back to work starting today.

The workers' concerns revolve around what they see as discrimination against local employees in favour of guest workers at the company.

The walkout was sparked when a local technician, David Green, was told by management to sign an agreement making him financially responsible for vehicles maintenance and accidents. Mr. Green, who has worked for the company for nine years, said he was told to sign the agreement or go on "permanent vacation."

Workers said that Mr. Green - a former chief steward - was singled out because of his influence. Another worker had declined to sign it, without consequence, the day before. Instead, management said they would consider revising it, according to the workers.

They told The Royal Gazette that a number of the foreign workers are working outside the terms of their work permits, are routinely being helped with their jobs when they mess up, and are treated preferentially by the management.

The workers added, service problems experienced by Cablevision customers are due in large part to incompetent foreign workers and poor management.

Work permit irregularities have already been brought to the attention of the Immigration Department, said Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess, and the department is seeking a meeting with Cablevision management.

Two people brought onto the Island as consultants are acting as managers of the company, said the workers, while the only local manager is being sidelined.

The workers also claim that some contract workers are driving company vehicles without valid drivers' licences and most of them do not have relevant qualifications or experience. Despite the fact that employment ads stipulate successful applicants have a valid drivers licence, the company has had to hire locals to drive some foreign technicians around.

Further, they are allowed to break rules and conditions of employment which are strictly enforced on the locals.

The company brings in people to do work that "anybody can do. They brought in a professional flagger (to direct traffic)," whose hourly wage is more than that of top local technicians, said one employee.

One American employee even admitted he "just came off a farm".

While vacancies are rarely advertised in-house, the workers say that the company continues to bring in people and then giving them training courses on the Island which are not offered to the locals. Yet, claim the workers, two evaluators were recently brought in from the United States and only the local technicians were evaluated.

Service issues experienced by the company's subscribers were largely as a result of bad management decisions and internal problems, the workers said. Asked for an example, the workers said the decision to require subscribers to install converter boxes should not have been implemented before rebuilding the cable system across the Island.

"They put these boxes online knowing full well they weren't ready and we told them," said a worker, adding that the company's main owner, Rod Henson, had admitted that if he had the funds the cable system would have been rebuilt before putting the boxes online.

"I don't think it's fair to the public because they are paying all this money," said the employee.

The company is also installing a new fibre optics system, yet only one local worker has the relevant certification, which he got before he came to the company. None of the other local employees have been given the necessary training, while a fibre optics trainer at another company has been subcontracted by Cablevision to do the work.

The workers, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution from management, insist that their action is a last resort. In October, Immigration Minister Terry Lister promised to look into some of their concerns. "Since then five new foreigners have been brought in," said a worker. "To us nothing has changed... We've tried every avenue there is to solve these issues."

Manager Jeremy Elmas did not return calls, but a press statement from the company said that the workers had downed tools after the introduction of a new company vehicle policy.

"The new policy is designed to ensure employees who are assigned service vehicles are more aware of their own and other road users' safety and that they drive well-maintained vehicles," said the company.

The company confirmed that the policy requires employees to pay Cablevision's $200 insurance deductible should they get involved in an accident which is their fault.

"We value our employees and our customers greatly and we're pleased that our employees will return to work tomorrow," Mr. Elmas is quoted in the statement.

"In addition, we hire Bermudian staff where we possibly can. However some of these positions require senior technical knowledge and experience and we have hired some temporary overseas workers to help us as we complete service calls, progress our training for local employees and build our cable system. We do have to pay higher wages to experienced staff and in order to attract them to the Island on a short-term basis; wages are not decided on the basis of nationality."