out in Senate yesterday.

Government and Opposition Senators clashed over three disputes -- problems at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, a row over union rights at Stevedoring Services and the threat of job cuts at BTC as the firm faces new competition and slashed revenues.

Opposition Senate Leader Maxwell Burgess claimed: "While this unrest is continuing, Government is running about blaming someone else.'' And he told the Government side: "You've been Government for 100 days and if you need another 100 days, tell the people that.

"But don't come round here saying you're not prepared to take on your responsibilities.'' But former Bermuda Union of Teachers general secretary and Government Senate Leader Milton Scott said "botched'' trades union legislation passed by the former UBP Government was to blame for the docks dispute.

He said the law -- which excluded middle management from joining their blue collar brothers in the same union -- had led to the row at the docks.

Sick-outs at the docks broke out over negotiations to allow office staff to join the collective agreement negotiated by the BIU, which represents the rank-and-file at Stevedoring Services.

Sen. Scott said: "One of the fundamental issues of that particular Act is, if we didn't have that particular Act, we wouldn't have this problem at Stevedoring Services.'' He added that simmering unrest at BTC had happened as a result of the previous Government's attempts to open up the telecommunications industry to competition.

Sen. Scott said: "There are lots of things which could have been done to open up telecommunications in this Country. They were not handled properly.'' And he added that new Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb had ended up in court only two days after the PLP's election victory "dealing with problems created under the new Government.'' Sen. Scott also said he felt sorry for the new Hospitals Board, which he claimed had reaped a whirlwind of industrial unrest sown under the previous Government.

But Sen. Walwyn Hughes (Ind) said: "I hope we can soon get on with evaluating and judging the past Government and its acts and the present Government for its acts and achievements in the present.

He added: "It does get a bit tiring.'' Sen. Maxwell Burgess Graphic file name: MBURR