launched a fresh crusade for management union rights -- and won backing from the BPSA.

The assistant vice presidents are among a group of eight BTC managers rallying for a secret ballot on unionisation for the company's junior hierarchy.

New laws passed this week allow every worker the right to join a union but require middle managers to get company permission for collective bargaining rights.

The Bermuda Public Services Association last night promised to continue the fight for full representation for management staff all over Bermuda.

And the BTC lobby has already made unofficial approaches to BPSA leaders to guarantee union backing for a ballot.

Managers also pushed for collective union recognition two years ago, before 13 senior staff were made redundant in a company shake-up.

The latest move comes as other BTC chiefs and the blue-collar Bermuda Industrial Union are still locked in talks to settle an internal dispute which caused 200 workers to walk out on strike.

BTC spokeswoman Karla Lacey-Minors said: "There's still no word on the talks and it's unclear when they will be finishing.

"Right now, they are on-going and there is no comment on their progress.

"As for the union matter, my official comment is that it's news to us.'' BTC bosses have refused to discuss the possibility of payments for workers while they were on unofficial strike.

BPSA General Secretary Edward Ball said: "It is unfortunate that the BTC board has lost the one element that always made it extremely profitable and kept staff morale extremely high.

"That was the interpersonal relationship that managers always enjoyed with staff.

"BTC was known as the people organisation that strived for open communications, compromise and sound training to offer the best to customers both internally and externally.'' Mr. Ball would not confirm if he had been contacted by the renegade BTC managers.

But he added the BPSA would be spurred into action after the new trade union laws passed through the Senate on Monday.

"I received a lot of calls that night from concerned middle managers who are members of the union and who don't want to lose their representation rights,'' said Mr. Ball.

"That will not happen and the BPSA isn't going to sit idly by and allow this legislation to affect middle managers in Bermuda.

"The fight will continue and further details will be announced.'' Labour Minister Quinton Edness has already announced a Board of Inquiry will investigate the crisis between staff and managers at the Bermuda Telephone Company.

The three-member board will have the power to make legally-binding recommendations for both company and union practices.

The dispute which provoked staff into a four-day walkout centred on a decision to suspend one worker for two days.

Staff who marched off the job have also demanded pay despite skipping one hour's work to protest to the BIU and then going on strike.

One BTC insider said: "Morale has got so bad at the company now that even some of the assistant vice-presidents are trying to get management unionised.

"Nobody likes seeing the company in disarray.''