On the verge of implementing a law which could change the face of Bermuda's workplaces, Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Wayne Perinchief, is in no mood to be dissuaded.

For him the Workforce Equity bill, which will give Government the green light to go over how companies go about hiring and firing, promoting and paying their workers, is wholly necessary given the lasting disparities between the races.

For Mr. Perinchief the act is not punitive but another prod to companies who can't see they need to change if Bermuda is to stave off further division.

Simply put, to do nothing would be far worse than intervening, believes Mr. Perinchief.

He said international business is the primary pillar of Bermuda's economy and has a huge impact on the social development of its people.

"Do we wish to have that industry create a two-class system and the social implications of that if it is left to its own devices? We have the mandate of ensuring our society functions in a way that its citizens are happy with.

"Can we allow corporate interests to simply make money and depend on the trickle down theory of economics — Reaganomics — so we create a subculture, an underclass which is primarily black? That is a dangerous situation to allow to develop. We must ensure that there is participation by the native folks — we can't create a two-class system or allow it to develop coincidently — even if it wasn't intentional."

He said local companies were doing better than international companies with fair employment practices but were by no means perfect and complaints are also coming in about them too. "I have had my ear bent about some construction firms which may be perpetrating unequal employment and salaries etc. So, everybody has to be looked at."

The Workforce Equity Act 2007 is also a landmark piece of legislation in that perhaps for the first time it singles out black Bermudians as needing special attention.

Employers have been quick to claim they are keen to hire and promote as many black Bermudians as are available — but a failing public education system has meant Bermuda is not preparing its people to meet industry demands.

Asked if the bill was blaming employers for the failure to promote black Bermudians when there were acknowledged holes in the public education system Mr. Perinchief said: "I don't accept we are blaming anyone.

"We are asking companies to work with us to develop a plan that will employ Bermudians, train Bermudians so more can participate in the prosperity created by this very affluent corporate structure.

"We have done some studies which indicate white people with a high school education go further than blacks with a degree.

"We have seen that, it's been anecdotal. That is one of the issues we need to address. But whites don't have to look over their shoulder if they are as educated and as qualified. They don't."

Government take the view the bill is just one part of a wider push to tackle inequality — this aspect was for employers to tackle.

And Mr. Perinchief said bright black Bermudians coming out of the private system are still facing problems in the workforce.

"I have heard, and this is anecdotal, of students who are entering the workforce in international companies and being — they believe — harshly treated. In other words they are being micro-managed and they have what they believe is a punitive system which deters them from staying.

"They feel they are being treated differently from their peers who come from other countries. This to me is overt racism — and I am speaking to young people."

He said some were suffering in small IT firms where the marketing people came from overseas and were asking the Bermudians for leads.

"But they are making the money. So you have these two and three-tiered systems where the Bermudians are doing the generic work but the foreigner is coming in and getting the prime positions and jobs where they are making the money.

"So there is disparity even within the workplace so when an employee complains or reports we want to see the plan to ensure that not only to do they employ Bermudians but they also have a career plan for them."

He said the act was focused on changing the mindset of the employer.

"Are they open to employing black Bermudians? If they start to set up a plan to allow that to happen then their minds start to open to that possibility that it can happen. We are really opening what amounts to a closed society."

Hiring black Bermudians for the sake of it, just to improve the numbers, missed the point said Mr. Perinchief. But he added: "Black people can aspire to any level if given the opportunity and education."

Recently Mr. Perinchief had an epiphany when he visited the Atlantis hotel in Nassau, Bahamas.

"What I was used to seeing in hotels was white management and one or two black people at the lower levels of employment."

But in that hotel everyone from the doorman to the management was black.

"I suddenly realised, after two days, what I was observing. I saw an institution that was run and managed, top to bottom, by the indigenous people, by the locals, by Bahamians.

"And quite honestly it blew my mind — it is a premier hotel by any description. It was mind-boggling and an education to me. I came back home further resolved to ensure that this type of thing happens in Bermuda."

But in Bermuda, as elsewhere, white males still dominated the workplace, said Mr. Perinchief.

"We have women complain about it. We have heard other ethnic groups complain about it. This could be based on class — whatever.

"We know white males dominate the workplace — especially at higher levels, this has always been an issue. Women have asked for empowerment in the workplace. There is all sorts of discrimination."

And things appear to be going backward with the number of black executives declining from 29 percent to 27 percent in the most recent figures.

The racial disparities in international business are all the more glaring when compared with the rest of Bermuda argues Mr. Perinchief.

"Look at the anomaly in this country, you have a Government that, coincidently, is black from top to bottom. A civil service that basically is black — we run the country, we set the policy, we draft the legislation.

"We set the parameters by which these very rich companies make billions. Yet the companies don't employ our nationals, there is something wrong there. Don't tell me we can run a country with basically all black people at the top and these companies can't employ our nationals at any level of middle and upper management? Ridiculous.

"We are the same folks. We are asking them to employ our children who have had better education then we had. Come on! Something is wrong."

Asked if the act would have gathered more support if it had not specifically named black Bermudians but had called for fairness for all, Mr. Perinchief said companies could implement policies to improve the lot of other demographic groups if they wished.

"In particular we want to focus on that particular group and make sure it is included when we look at your strategy. It doesn't preclude the others."

Other groups fearing they had been discriminated against at the workplace were covered by section two and section six of the Human Rights Act, said Mr. Perinchief.

Asked why that existing act wasn't good enough to help black Bermudians Mr. Perinchief said the Human Rights Act covered those who made complaints but research done by CURE had shown some people felt unwilling to do so.

The Workforce Equity Act will look at institutional racism affecting groups of people rather than individuals.

But at the moment CURE can only urge companies to change.

Government admit the new proposal, which will give it powers to review company records, is not data-driven although Mr. Perinchief said there was ten year's worth of information including from 2005/2006 which saw a decrease of employments of blacks.

The proposed bill has caused shock waves in the business community but Mr. Perinchief urged companies to work with Government, not fear the change. "What we are looking for is a partnership — we are saying to businesses — give us a template, a model of what the skill sets should be. We, as a government, will work with you to provide those students, those people.

"It will take time, we understand that. We are saying partner with us and together we will create a workforce that will make us all happy. It may create logistical problems for the companies and it may upset their comfortable world but it might not."

Mr. Perinchief said companies could boost profits by making the most of talent in their midst.

"We are saying bright black people potentially are being denied the opportunity to help their companies which is to the detriment of those companies."

And he said CURE stats had shown cases of black managers earning less than the people they supervise.

When challenged about the decline in the number of black executives, employers have said this was due to a rise in business, with small white-dominated firms from white-dominated countries moving to the Island.

Asked whether similar companies thinking about coming to Bermuda would need to worry about completely changing their workforce to reflect the majority demographic Mr. Perinchief said there was no quota — simply a measuring point based on the racial make-up of the workforce — so companies have parameters.

Asked if companies would leave if the policy was implemented Mr. Perinchief said: "If a company is interested in developing the citizens of the host country they shouldn't even consider that.

"We don't want to lose any companies, we don't believe we will lose any companies because I am certain they operate like this in Cayman, in the Virgin Islands, Barbados — if they go to Ireland they will be expected to hire Irish people, Isle of Man it would be Manxmen. This is not new.

"If the worst case scenario came down $50,000 is not much of a deterrent to a company which makes a half million in profits per annum. It's a joke. $50,000 is probably an insult to them really. It is really not the punitive aspect that we are emphasising.

"Why would you punish your partner? We have no intention to. It is just that if you have a system in place you have to have sanctions at the end of it.

"All we are asking for is reporting — having a programme, we are not saying you have to meet quotas, that has to be emphasised.

"We are saying if you care, if you respect the Government, if you respect the intent of what we are trying to do — that's employ our people — then you will work with us to put a plan in place to make that happen. That's the bottom line, why people can't get that is beyond me."

The dialogue in the media, workplaces and street about the issue had been healthy, said Mr. Perinchief.

"People are starting to talk about it. I believe no matter what form the legislation takes in the end, the effect will have already been positive in bringing about change in the workplace in Bermuda.

"I don't think any employer who has entered this dialogue will look at their workplace the same as they did before. That's what we are asking for — a change in mindset. I am happy with that."

He said Government understood most workplaces grew by using the available workforce.

"We know international companies do too. And we know that they will probably still be predominantly white and dominated by a particular group.

"We don't really have a problem with that as long as the employable workforce is employed. I use that term 'employable' workforce.

"And promoted to a level they can best aspire to. We are happy with that, we are comfortable with that.

"We do believe with an open system you will see variations — the very specific jobs where you need specific skill you will find fewer bright people getting to that point. We understand.

"But surely when there are accountants and lawyers and actuaries and all the rest. That broad-based group, we would expect to see more Bermudians there. We won't see them all up in the rarefied air of special CEO's.

"Some of these people have to be extremely bright, connected and know the business.

"We understand that, it would be foolish not to. It would be like saying you need 20 black astronauts — only a few people will ever aspire to that level, really. So we are being practical, we are not being unreasonable."