candidate was fired from his hotel job for political reasons.

Mr. George Scott was a victim of an orchestrated campaign against the Opposition and the BIU, it is claimed.

The 36-year-old was one of three workers to lose their jobs at Marriott Castle Harbour on Monday.

A PLP candidate in Warwick West, the father-of-three was the hotel's chief shop steward and assistant bell captain.

General Manager Mr. Roger Borsink claimed the three men were made redundant because of the recession.

But BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons said Mr. Scott was targeted in a conspiracy to discredit the PLP, and he has vowed to fight the dismissal.

Meanwhile, another hotel was also embroiled in controversy yesterday after laying off staff.

Mr. David Boyd, managing director of Sonesta Beach, said four workers had become victims of new technology -- an electronic cash machine.

Chief shop steward Mr. Reid Trott, however, claimed nine employees, mainly cooks, had been laid off without notice.

And he accused management of withholding his pay cheque, and intimidating workers -- charges denied by Mr. Boyd.

The row at Marriott Castle Harbour surfaced at yesterday's hearing of the Essential Industries Disputes Settlement Board.

The board will be ruling on contract talks between the BIU and the Hotel Employers of Bermuda.

Mr. Simmons claimed Castle Harbour was making a "bomb of money.'' And he highlighted a Christmas thank you letter to staff from Mr. Borsink, which started: "Once again we have come down to the end of another successful year and of course this could not have happened without you.'' This contrasted starkly with management's claim it had been rocked by the recession.

"Firing was not the way to treat people if the hotel had a successful year,'' Mr. Simmons told the hearing.

He accused hotel bosses of using a severance article in the HEB-BIU collective bargaining agreement as a clause of "victimisation.'' "They're using it as a clause to get rid of certain employees -- not employees who are not doing their jobs, but employees who have a very close affinity to the union.

"They are taking out key union people. They've done it at Sonesta Beach and now they're doing it at Castle Harbour.'' He added: "There's a conspiracy hard at work to either to tame or wreck the BIU.'' Earlier Mr. Simmons told The Royal Gazette a protest letter over the job losses had been sent to Mr. Borsink.

"We are raising a grievance over the matter, telling him that this type of redundancy is not acceptable without further explanation.

"I am of the view Mr. Scott was victimised for political reasons.'' Mr. Simmons said he believed the two other workers were laid off to make Mr.

Scott's "dismissal'' appear justified.

"We are going to fight this,'' he added.

Mr. Simmons said Mr. Scott, who has served on the executive committees of the BIU, the Credit Union, and the Co-op Supermarket, was "one of the finest workers any hotel could have.'' "He is also a very nice fellow,'' he added.