Union strife dominated the headlines in April as Bermuda’s largest trade associations took Government to task.On April 7, hundreds of Bermuda Industrial Union members packed into St Paul Centennial Hall for a four-hour meeting in which BIU president Chris Furbert gave an update on pay negotiations with Government. According to members, Government requested a pay freeze and acceptance of straight time pay for working overtime until the end of 2011 in order to save money and stave off redundancies.Members called for Government ministers to lead by example and slash their own salaries, most of which hover around $168,000 per year.One member said: “Government wants us to freeze wages and lose overtime. The union is saying go for it, but the workers are saying ‘hell no’.”The union agreed to reject the pay proposal on April 8 unless Government slashed the salaries of ministers who earn $168,000 or more. “The workers are willing to do their part, but they want to see Government doing its part too,” said Mr Furbert. “I think a pay cut would do it.”The union described the pay proposal as a double whammy, saying workers did not like that they would earn less while the price of food, healthcare and gas all continue to rise. They were hoping to have the situation resolved before the cruise ship season started, as bus and ferry operators accounted for 20 to 25 percent of the BIU membership.Meanwhile, the BIU was reported as being several years behind on its financial auditing. Records from 2003 to 2009 were submitted to its auditors for review in the week of April 11.Government slashed the ferry service budget by 24 percent resulting in schedule changes to every route and daily bus cancellations to cover driver shortages added to the Island’s transportation woes. Transport Minister Terry Lister described the cancellations as “cost-effective cuts” as the Department of Transport had its budget reduced by $1.3 million, down seven percent over 2010. Mr Lister also pointed to the “unnecessary number” of bus drivers calling out sick on a daily basis as a reason for schedule cancellations.The Bermuda Public Services Union was offered a 1.25 percent pay increase however its members wanted assurance there would be no redundancies over the summer and Government would introduce certain measures including a freeze on food prices. When their demands weren’t met, an estimated 600 civil servants marched on Cabinet to air their concerns.Premier Paula Cox officially rejected BIU’s call for Cabinet Ministers to take a pay cut in a televised speech on April 23, stating, “It takes grit and character to resist the temptation to indulge the politics of appeasement and to say there will be no symbolic cuts in ministers’ salaries.”In response, the United Bermuda Party and Bermuda Democratic Alliance heralded that the summer of 2011 would be a period of unrest.The union matters were not settled by the end of the month.