yesterday after 35 days of bitter argument.

Now Prof. Ronald Haughton and his Essential Industries Disputes Settlement Board have to ponder more than 4,000 pages of evidence transcribed from the Cathedral Hall hearings.

The Bermuda Industrial Union and the Hotel Employers of Bermuda are legally bound to follow the board's decision, which should be handed to Government before the year's end.

BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons spent yesterday summing up the union's case, accusing the HEB of pocketing workers' tips and conspiring with Government to bust the union.

If the board did not order compensation for lost gratuities the union would get legal advice on taking a test case to court.

He told the board: "We question your ability to come to a decision that is fair, objective and free of bias in favour of the HEB.

"We ask you to take into account that the union has already done the compromising.

"Don't take a butcher's knife and give a little bit to the union and a little bit to the HEB, because the bit given to the HEB would be the workers' portion.

"We ask that you be bold in your award and ensure that the discontent that has been going on for years will come to a sudden screeching end.'' Attacking "nasty'' Press coverage of the union's finances, he declared: "Yes, we're cash-strapped. We have no cash to do all the things that the founding fathers of the organisation set out to do for our members. We're broke because the HEB discontinued collecting dues.'' He questioned unaudited HEB figures on the finances of eight major hotels, telling the board: "The HEB have come to show you the worst possible situation, and not explain it in detail.'' He said it was "lies'' to say hotels had no money for wage increases, because hotel workers were low paid and wages were only a small portion of employers' expenses.

The recession was deeper because so many hotel workers had been made redundant and were paid so little, he added.

"The hotels can afford to pay more, and they are coming out of their difficulties according to their information.

"If you look at the books of Sonesta Beach, you'll find that they made profits this year. I know that. We know that Elbow Beach has made profits, and we know that the Princess and the Southampton Princess have made profits.'' The HEB are giving a written summary of their case to the board, which begins its deliberations on December 28.

The hearings started in May after months of fierce wrangling between the two sides.

The BIU and HEB have been at loggerheads since their last collective bargaining agreement expired in February, 1991.

Hoteliers say a drop in tourism means they cannot afford to give workers a raise for the period January, 1992 to February, 1993. They are offering three percent increases for the next two years.

The BIU wants annual increases of seven, six and seven percent for 1991, 1992 and 1993.