Opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley yesterday warned Government's "disrespect" for overseas tourism staff could come back to haunt it as it tries to recruit top quality civil servants.

Sen. Dunkley said Premier Ewart Brown's controversial move to kick up to 20 Bermudians out of the New York office — to replace them with Americans who will be trained in Bermuda — appeared to have been dropped on long-serving employees like a ton of bricks.

And he said the treatment of workers, including teachers, Police officers, taxi drivers and Bermuda Industrial Union members — all of whom have rowed with Government recently — would undermine the Premier's goal to recruit only the best talent into the Civil Service.

"I think that it might be the proper course of approach for all involved to give a little more understanding to the individuals in the office, but also to Bermudians as well as to why changes are necessary," said Shadow Labour Minister Sen. Dunkley.

"If we continue to treat labour in the way they have been treated in the New York tourism office, I find it hard to believe Government will be able to attract the best and brightest, because it won't be in their best interest to go there."

New York tourism staff — some of whom have more than 30 years' experience with the Department of Tourism — were given five weeks' notice of their redundancies.

They say this gives them precious little time to find new homes, jobs and schools for their children on the Island, while some face having to leave their families behind for immigration reasons.

They reacted by accusing Government of showing an "utter disregard for their employees".

Sen. Dunkley pointed to the increases in staff numbers within the Civil Service and particularly Cabinet since Dr. Brown became Premier and added: "This situation is curious, based on the fact that the change hit the staff in the tourism office like a ton of bricks, that's clearly evident by the way they have reacted to it.

"I call on the Government to remember we need to take care of our Civil Service because we expect so much of them. We need to treat them with respect, understanding and care for their plight.

"We owe them a commitment to be straight up with them and show them respect and that hasn't happened."

Dr. Brown's explanation has been that it was a cost-cutting measure and that they had been unable to train the Bermudians — although staff point out all the training amounted was one day in which they watched a DVD and were given a book virtually all of them had already read.

Progressive Labour Party Senator Walton Brown said yesterday that the relevant Ministers should be allowed to speak on the issue and added: "We have plans to revitalise tourism and part of that is the strategy in North America."