prolonged hotels talks.

The hearing, before the Essential Industries Disputes Settlement Board, was dominated by long breaks due to the Bermuda Industrial Union's insistence that all 19 members of its hotel division negotiating team be allowed to attend the meetings without losing pay.

BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons said despite the board's ruling that seven members will be paid during the talks with the union having the right to rotate them, the team found this to be unacceptable.

"We will not be divided by employers who care nothing about this country, especially hotel workers,'' head of the union's hotel division and Southampton Princess chief shop steward Mr. Herbert Bascome said.

And Mr. Simmons advised the board to review the "unfair, unjust, and divisive'' ruling.

He said never before had the HEB treated employees in such a an "inhumane fashion.''.

The board, chaired by Prof. Ronald Haughton, recessed for nearly two hours to consider his remarks. But it returned with the same ruling.

"The voting members (Prof. Haughton, Canon James Francis and Mr. Gregory Haycock) of the board have made a ruling on this matter and have been asked to change it at least twice,'' Prof. Haughton said. "This third request cannot be treated any differently.

"The board has pointed out that seven will be paid with the right to rotate.

The matter of whether the other 14 are entitled to be paid for time lost has been and still is an issue before this board.

"We understand the position which has been presented by Mr. Bascome and supported by Mr. Simmons. The fact is, however, there has been more than one request to change what is an outstanding, binding award by the board on an interim matter.

"We say again that it stands. The issue is one of the matters that will be decided after all the evidence and arguments are in.'' After a brief meeting with the union team, Mr. Simmons said the team still could not go along with the ruling despite a desire to cooperate "as much as we possibly can.'' And he said the following were suggested with reluctance: The union write to the Labour and Home Affairs Minister, asking him to step in; The union go on television and "let the country know what's happening in this room;'' Hearings be rescheduled at the end of the team's working day; The entire union side abandon the hearings; He and BIU general secretary Ms Molly Burgess represent the union alone; or The union call a general membership meeting and have members make the decision.

Today's hearing will be the last until August 3.