preliminary disputes yesterday.

Hoteliers and the union argued about a new board member, the hoteliers' lawyer and whether or not the hearings should be open to the public. The main dispute, which has seen hotel workers without a contract for more than a year, was not addressed.

The Hotel Employers of Bermuda wants the hearings closed to the public and the media. Public meetings will give rise to public posturing, HEB lawyer Mr.

Stephen Shawe said, and cause negative Press reports here and abroad.

The result, he said, would be further damage to an industry that is already in decline.

Mr. Shawe pointed to a brief display of BIU protest placards yesterday -- quickly stopped by board chairman Prof. Ronald Haughton -- as an example of behaviour that would not take place if the hearings were closed.

BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP objected to closed hearings, saying they would set "a dangerous precedent.'' The proposal "flies in the face of the freedom of the Press and the public's right to know.'' The hearings were funded by Government, he said, and the public has a right to see how their tax money was being spent.

The board is expected to announce its decision on the issue this morning.

Mr. Simmons also questioned board member Mr. Gregory Haycock, an accountant who was appointed to the panel last week to replace Mr. Michael Mello.

The HEB had claimed Mr. Mello was potentially biased and, when the Supreme Court ruled he was not, threatened to appeal. Mr. Mello denied the claims, but resigned so the hearings could move forward.

Mr. Haycock yesterday agreed to answer Mr. Simmons' questions in the interest of avoiding delay.

He agreed he once served as a trustee of the Hotel Pension Fund and that, though independent, had been nominated by the HEB.

He agreed he had appeared as a witness in the 1988 inquiry into hotel contracts to argue that independent fund trustees worked well -- a position at odds with the BIU.

Mr. Haycock agreed his accounting firm's clients included some HEB member hotels and he was privy to their accounts. But he stressed he was bound professionally not to reveal information about clients to anyone, including the Disputes Settlement Board.

In the end, Mr. Simmons said he would accept Mr. Haycock's commitment to decide the issues fairly, and would not object to him remaining on the board.

Mr. Simmons also objected to Mr. Stephen Shawe, the Baltimore labour lawyer who is representing the hoteliers.

Mr. Simmons complained that hoteliers had assured him in 1990 that they would not be using Mr. Shawe during these negotiations, that there were several local lawyers willing and able to do the work, and said he believed Mr. Shawe lacked the proper immigration permission to work in Bermuda.

The board ruled that it was not qualified to deal in immigration law or Government's immigration policies, and told Mr. Simmons he would have to take the matter up with the Labour and Immigration Minister if he wanted to pursue it.

Mr. Shawe said the complaints were not worthy of comment.

Later in the day, Permanent Secretary for Labour Mr. Ernie Owen told The Royal Gazette that Mr. Shawe did indeed have the necessary immigration permission.

INTO HEARING -- The Hotel Employers of Bermuda team included (from left) Hotel Association executive director Mr. John Harvey, president Mr. David Dodwell, Hotel Employers of Bermuda president Mr. Dennis Tucker, and lawyer Mr. Stephen Shawe.