colleagues today despite a claim the company had threatened to sack everybody if the action continued.

The strike is now in its third day with the sides deadlocked on the issue of pay for the installation crew.

Bermuda Industrial Union shop steward Michael Jones said: "They have said to me if you don't come in tomorrow morning they will fire the entire crew and bring in a whole new one.

"That's just the way they are. That's the way they operate.'' But he said workers were in no mood to back down after a year and a half of pay talks and that six office staff were expected to join the 11 field crew on today's picket.

He said: "I didn't want to involve office staff unless it was an absolute necessity.'' Mr. Jones said he did not believe the company would go through with its threat to sack the strikers.

He said: "We are not intimidated. We have too much public support and we are too valuable for the company to sack us. I have been here for 11 or 12 years.

"It took too long for them to train me. They would have to bring in a new crew and they would run into immigration problems. Who would they hire here who has the experience? "We will sit this out until we get this sorted but I don't believe it will go that long.'' On Monday the union and company hammered out a deal on staff uniforms, vehicles and safety.

Mr. Jones said the sticking point was now about money for installers who he said were paid poorly.

He said the company had agreed to a pay hike and then tried to snatch away established incentive pay meaning a 15 percent pay increase was halved for two workers while another ended up with no rise at all.

Mr. Jones added: "They are the most stubborn company I have ever encountered.

It's just a money issue.

"We are run on a skeleton crew. BTC have about 120 field employees but we have 11 and they must have ten times more office staff.

He said the BIU head office had stayed out of the row as he and his colleague David Greene tried to hammer out a deal.

But he said things would change if company lawyer Alan Dunch entered the fray.

Mr. Jones said: "When Alan Dunch steps in the union will step in and then it will get ugly.

"They would rather go through weeks and month of litigation and spend $150,000 on the highest paid lawyer than spend a few thousand on incentive pay.'' Representatives of Cablevision failed to return calls to The Royal Gazette last night.

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