Bermuda's workers must never forget the struggles of the past nor be complacent about the rights they enjoy now, diners at the Bermuda Industrial Union's (BIU)21st Labour Day Banquet on Friday night were told.

Former St. Paul's AME pastor Reverend Sylvester Beaman said workers must be ever-vigilant to protect the standard of living and rights that union members had fought so hard to secure.

"Every worker on this Island, whether a member of the BIU or of another union, those (older) members are written into history and the reason we have what we have is because we stand on their shoulders," he told the audience at the Fairmont Southampton Princess.

"Don't ever forget where we came from. Don't ever forget yesterday and the struggles of yesterday.

"If you forget history you are destined to repeat it and you might get nostalgic," he continued.

"You weren't always first class and have privilege and Members of Parliament and affluence. Don't get too comfortable on the inside.

"There are Machiavellian principles and if you have to fight for something, you have to remain vigilant to maintain it.

"Don't ever forget or allow your children to forget where you came from.

"Be watchful always."

Rev. Beaman, who was born in New York state, came to St. Paul's in Hamilton in 1986.

He is now the pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware.

He said in Bermuda he learned from Austin Wilson about the struggle of Bermudian workers to maintain their dignity.

He told how workers organised themselves in the 1940's over the American baselands when there was a plan to pay foreign workers more than Bermudians.

"Sometimes you've got to say `enough is enough'.

The real issue was not so much about political power," said Rev Beaman.

"It was not as simple as a black and white issue (and it was not) about expatriate workers and Bermudians workers, but something more basic.

"It was about self-respect, about being true to himself.

"It was about dignity and his honour, and that was not to be compromised."

Mr. Wilson had a dream which he kept which was that his children should have the same rights as the Triminghams, the Smiths and the Gibbons to own land and be educated.

"BIU, don't rest on your laurels. Don't rely on individual affluence. Just because you have it doesn't mean you always had it or always will have it.

"Remain diligent, keep the faith. Be watchful always.

" You are necessary. You make Bermuda work. You are the salt of the earth."