A union chief has criticised the chairman of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) for attacking civil servants over the Government body?s failure to produce annual reports for the past four years.

Armell Thomas, president of the Bermuda Public Services Union, said it was wrong for Rod Attride-Stirling to make any comment about staff problems within the Commission because disciplinary proceedings had already begun involving a senior civil servant.

Mr. Attride-Stirling said last week that jobs should have been lost over the Commission?s repeated failure to comply with the law and produce a report no later than six months after the end of each calendar year.

As reported in ahearing in connection with the matter and involving David Wilson, the Commission?s executive officer, was held over a three-week period beginning at the end of last month.

A report on the hearing was due to be presented to John Drinkwater, the secretary to the Cabinet and head of the Civil Service, by the end of last week.

Mr. Thomas said: ?The public has a right to know but they only have a right to know certain things. Mr. Attride-Stirling knows that it?s a pending case. I?m saying that it?s wrong for Mr. Attride-Stirling to even make any mention because it?s a pending case.

?He shouldn?t have said that because the case is still happening. He knows all about the situation.

?If anything, he should be fired because where are the human rights of the employee? He went too far discussing this matter.?

He added: ?There are a lot of things that we think but we just can?t say. As a Human Rights Commissioner, you don?t come to the newspaper and say ?these guys have got to be fired?. That?s nonsense.?

Mr. Thomas said the union was representing Mr. Wilson. ?He is one of my members. We took him through the case and we are waiting for the result.?

Mr. Attride-Stirling could not be reached for comment yesterday.