BIU leader Derrick Burgess has blasted a club manager for flouting an arbitration award just ten days after it was given.

But George Robinson, who runs the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, denies the claim and says both his business and his workers will lose out if the new deal is stuck to.

He said that for the last four years his workers have worked for straight time for up to 40 hours a week but the new agreement says overtime must be paid after 35.

So Mr. Robinson is asking employees at the Albouy's Point club to volunteer to keep up with the old practice.

He said: "But I don't believe we are breaking the arbitration agreement. I don't know what he's talking about.

"We are asking employees if they want to work at straight time up to 40 hours.

"The current agreement guarantees 30 hours a week for full time employees but the average is closer to 40 hours.

"The award doesn't preclude employees from volunteering. This lets us determine staffing levels.

`If enough people don't volunteer we will have to find extra staff. In any business overtime is an expensive thing.

And he hinted that staff would be hit in the pocket as their extra hours would be cut if he was forced to increase numbers.

He said: "No business I know sets scheduled overtime -- so they bring in more staff, and as a result, a person who had been earning money by working 40-45 hours a week will now earn 35 hours.'' "We are already under the gun because we are paying two and a half times what other clubs are paying.'' "We pay $12 an hour when everyone else is paying $5 -- the cost burden is high.

But Mr. Burgess said: "He's gone against the ruling. He's done it before at the Grotto Bay Hotel. He can't be trusted.

"So they asked him are you going to abide by the ruling? He said yes but within 10 days of the result of the award he's gone contrary.'' Mr. Burgess added: "We are asking employees not to sign anything George Robinson gives you. He's got a history of trying to break trade unions.'' "We are going to write to the tribunal.'' However Mr. Robinson denied he had a record of flouting arbitration awards.

He said: "Absolutely not. At the Grotto Bay there wasn't an agreement in place. We went to a Board of Inquiry which ruled in the hotel's favour.

"And the Government was upset at the time because we didn't have a standard agreement but we set up something better.'' Derrick Burgess