as a "technicality'' and rejected claims of a Government conspiracy against the union.

Information Minister the Hon. Michael Winfield was speaking following the union's successful appeal against a court ruling that ordered the seizure of its assets and the imposition of $100,000-a-day fines. The Government will have to pay the court costs.

The seizure ruling came at the height of recent labour unrest over the union's dispute with Bermuda Forwarders.

After the successful appeal quashing the seizure ruling, BIU lawyer Mr. Julian Hall MP accused Government of mounting a "conspiracy to bring the union to its knees''.

Last night Sen. Winfield rejected the claim. "There was obviously no conspiracy,'' he said. "All that Government wanted to do was to put the Country back to work.

"It was forced into the position of taking an injunction because people were out on strike disrupting the Country. It took out an injunction and then when the injunction was disregarded the order of sequestration (seizure) followed.

"What has been won if you like is a legal technicality on the order of sequestration. What everybody seems not to be recognising is that the injunction stood.'' Reacting to a statement from Mr. Hall that the union might seek compensation from the Government, Sen. Winfield said there should be compensation for the "thousands'' of people who were affected by the unrest.

And in response to calls from BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP for Government to apologise to the public, he added: "I would suspect that the vast majority of people would be outraged by that suggestion. It was not Government that was threatening the livelihood of Bermudians.''