The Bermuda Public Services Union could take its fight for union recognition and a new pay deal for overseas Tourism staff to the Labour Department after getting no response on why it's being blocked.

Around 30 staff based in New York, Atlanta, Florida, Toronto and London won the right to union recognition with the BPSU last January.

Pay talks began in May and concluded in November with a draft agreement which staff hoped would get signed but the contract was referred to the Attorney General's chambers late last year.

Asked about the next step, BPSU general secretary Ed Ball said: "The Labour Department is always open to us."

And he said the matter might be taken to the Labour Advisory Council — a forum for Government, unions and business — if nothing gets done.

"I am not panicking. We are keeping a watchful eye over this matter.

"The delay is most unusual. In all my years of doing negotiations on contracts this is a first — only because I don't know why. No one seems to know why. There is nothing contentious there in our opinion.

"When you negotiate in good faith if there is an issue all parties come back to the table."

Last year a source said staff and management had been on the verge of signing off on the agreements but it had been halted when the Premier indicated he knew nothing about either deal.

One source said the Premier had said in September he was going to privatise the overseas office.

Last year the Premier's spokesman said the Premier had decided to get the Attorney General's chambers to vet the deal, as was normal in such cases, and that an opinion was imminent.

However, Phil Perinchief was replaced as Attorney General by Kim Wilson after the election.

Asked if this might delay things further, Mr. Ball said: "It's not supposed to."

He said such matters were normally dealt with by technical officers. "There were sufficient barristers along with senior civil servants to address any questions concerning the agreement."

Overseas tourism staff are also said to be upset over the shock appointment of Emilygail Dill who was given the job of acting head of Tourism for North America after previous director, Glenn Bean, was reportedly given a large pay-off to leave after 17 years service.

Mr. Ball said a meeting between the union, staff and management had been set up for next week so he had no immediate comment.