Royal Gazette , accusing it of enticing hotels to revolt from the Bermuda Industrial Union.

Mr. Simmons said the paper may have prejudiced the outcome of the hotel contract talks.

And he accused it of irresponsibly stoking up confrontation between hoteliers and the union.

His outburst was over Wednesday's front page article, which claimed some hoteliers may split from the BIU.

The paper quoted unnamed sources within the industry, who spoke of hotel bosses possibly revolting if wage rises for 1993 and 1994 went above three percent.

Their decision rested on the decision of Prof. Ronald Haughton and his Essential Industries Disputes Board, the sources claimed.

Prof. Haughton's crucial ruling is expected within the next 10 days.

The Hotel Employers of Bermuda want a wages and benefits freeze for 1992 and three percent rises for the following years. It considers the issue of 1991 wages closed.

The BIU is fighting for increases of seven, six, and seven percent for 1991, 1992, and 1993.

Yesterday Mr. Simmons blasted the article as "inflammatory'', "possibly libellous'', "certainly misleading'', "unnecessarily dramatic'', and "positively irresponsible''.

"It might just influence Prof. Haughton and his board, because the jury are still out,'' he said.

"In a court case this would be considered jury tampering.'' Mr. Simmons slammed a paragraph of the article which stated some hoteliers could follow the lead of Grotto Bay and Pink Beach in splitting from the union.

"I think this amounts to an incitement on the part of The Royal Gazette to urge hotels to break from the union.

"It is mischievous, and is an attempt to create confrontation among the parties.''