Sir David Gibbons has failed the economy and Bermudians and should resign his chairmanship with the Bank of Butterfield, the Progressive Labour Party's Shadow Minister for Labour and Home Affairs said yesterday.

Mr. Scott was reacting to figures released earlier this week in the 1995 Employment Survey indicating a decline of Bermudians in the Island's workforce.

And he laid the blame on the shoulders of bank chief and former United Bermuda Party Premier.

But last night Sir David hit back, saying: "I wouldn't even dignify calls for my resignation with a comment.'' And he dismissed claims by Mr. Scott that the Bermuda Technical Institute, which shut in the early '70s, had been closed under his Premiership as "absolutely and totally untrue''.

He said: "The Technical Institute was closed before I got into Government -- I think it's a tragedy that it closed. It was my baby. I was the first chairman.

"We succeeded wonderfully, but within 20 years we had no panel beaters, spray painters or electrical tradesmen.'' Sir David, in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce last week, warned the Island could be confronted with significant unemployment unless Bermudians adapted to the new technical age. (See Page 4 for full text.) Sir David added: "In the speech I deplored the fact that the Technical Institute was closed -- we have now gone back and had to recruit scores and scores of tradesmen from abroad.

"I very much regret it ever closed. Mr. Scott should check his facts before making these kind of remarks.'' Mr. Scott also slammed plans by the Bank of Butterfield to cut staff as another example of saying one thing and doing another.

He said: "I charge him, in his business, to lead the way. Rather than take his staff and make them redundant he should turn it around and make them useful.'' Sir David said that he had said in his speech that there were 40 percent fewer tellers at the bank than there had been a year or two ago.

Scott wants Sir David to resign bank post From Page 1 But he added: "We have eight people in our training department, which Mr.

Scott obviously hasn't bothered to ask about.

"They are engaged in training and re-training only Bermudians -- to suggest we are not training is rubbish.'' Sir David said that increasing automation had taken "a lot of the drudgery out of banking'', particularly in the domestic sector.

But he said: "We are not making great numbers of people redundant. We are re-training them in growth areas, areas like the international sector.'' Statistical evidence of racial inequality in the workforce also came as no surprise to Mr. Scott, who said he recently saw an advert for a technical manager for the Bermuda Telephone Company in a Canadian newspaper.

He added: "Inequality's an historical reality, it's unfortunate. It's a problem that's always existed and those who are directing Bermuda industry are exacerbating the problems by recruiting overseas.

"It's no wonder we see more drugs on the street and it's a serious challenge that I put to Sir David and the managers of the telephone company,'' he said.

But Sir David said his bank had commissioned a major report on the glass ceiling and institutionalised racism several years ago and had implemented almost all the recommendations.

He added: "We have done a tremendous amount in this area.'' Derrick Burgess, president of the 4,440 strong Bermuda Industrial Union, said the employment survey raised more questions than it provided answers.

And he wanted to know what Government was doing to ensure that jobs on the Island go to Bermudians and how Government planned to fight racial inequality, not only in the workplace, but also among the unemployed.

"I would venture to say at this point the unemployment rate is actually closer to nine percent, with 95 percent of the those being black. That's obviously racial discrimination,'' Burgess told The Royal Gazette .

"We'd also like to know how many Bermudians who have studied overseas and returned can't find jobs. Is the government actively encouraging Bermudianisation, and if so what programmes do they have in place.

"Also, there are many jobs in this country that Bermudians can do without extensive training -- we'd like to know how many of these jobs are out there.

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