About 150 unionised workers gathered on the grounds of the Cabinet Building yesterday morning in a peaceful protest in support of former workers of sacked school contractor Pro-Active Management Systems.

Led by representatives of the Bermuda Industrial Union?s construction division, the marchers made their way from BIU headquarters on Union Street to Cabinet.

Deputy Premier Ewart Brown, Works Minister Ashfield DeVent and other Ministers left the weekly Cabinet meeting to speak to the workers who presented Government with a letter outlining their concerns.

Included among the protestors were workers from the Works and Engineering, Marine and Ports, Parks Department, the Post office and Public Transportation Board (PTB).

?We expect challenges from Government but not this type of challenge,? a workers? representative told Dr. Brown. ?We can no longer stand by and allow this to happen.?

Dr. Brown said that he had received critical messages expressed at the Labour Day celebration and would ensure they are relayed to the appropriate people.

?It means a lot to me that you are handling this in a calm and professional manner,? Dr. Brown said.

Dr. Brown added that he always reads protesters? signs and one in particular that was waved at Labour Day as well as yesterday which read: ?Remember who put you in power and kept you there.?

And he assured them that he would never forget his voters.

Works Minister Ashfield DeVent said that his objective was to get the new school finished and get children into the facility as soon as possible.

?It seems like an unjust reason why Pro-Active got fired,? one worker said to .

Others admitted that they did not know all the details of the firing of Pro-Active but were supporting the workers, not the company.

?We are just backing the workers because they are not getting paid now.?

A handful of the workers were invited into Cabinet by the Deputy Premier to present their grievances directly.

They were observed leaving Cabinet with smiles on their faces after about 30 minutes, but declined to speak to the press.

The workers then marched back to BIU headquarters where they met for half an hour in the main hall before dispersing.

All of the BIU?s 17 or 18 divisions were represented, according to BIU president Derrick Burgess.

Yesterday?s protest disrupted bus and ferry services for the morning and was quite different from a protest last month in response to news that Pro-Active?s contract had been terminated.

Perhaps in response to calls to keep the dispute between Government and the labour movement off the front pages of the press, few workers would talk to .

?They had a meeting and the workers are a bit annoyed at what has gone on,? Mr. Burgess said later.

?They presented a letter to the Cabinet expressing their views and what they would like to see happen.?

He would not comment on the contents of the letter.

?When we?re trying to get issues sorted out we don?t like to be in the press. It hampers negotiations.? But Mr. Burgess added that the union felt ?optimistic?.

?It?s a family feud.? Asked whether the country is likely to see anymore disruptions, Mr. Burgess said : ?We regret any inconveniences to the public but it was a very important meeting that was held this morning and there are no further meetings planned at this time.?