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STORAGE ROOM BERMUDA C LLEG£ LIBRARY WORKER CLAIMS LEGAL 'DISCRIMINATION'! Former BBC employee told he Vol. 15. No. 4. Price: 15 cents Hamilton, Bermuda-Friday, Oct. 10, 1986 cannot be represented by BlU Brother Deryck Symonds — one of the former employees of the Bermuda Broadcasting Name the Theatrel Company who has accused that company of discrimination — has been informed by the Mini- istry of Community Affairs that his case, along with five other aggrieved persons, will be heard The Executive Board of the BlU is asking by a Commission of Inquiry. However, Brother Symonds was told by the Ministry that he can­ its members and the community as a whole to not be represented by the Bermuda Industrial Union. NAME THE THEATRE. All persons interest­ This came to light this week when Mr. Loudru Robinson, the director, acting on the ad­ ed in suggesting a name for the cinema, which vice of the Attorney Genera), said that Symonds "shall be entitled to be represented by coun­ is situated in the new union building, are sel at the whole Inquiry". In other words, neither the BlU nor any other agent other than a asked to put the proposed name in an envel­ lawyer can represent Symonds. ope and deposit it at the BlU reception. Mark it "NAME THE THEATRE". Symonds, better known as Cousin Juicy, told The Workers Voice that he and his union­ ised colleagues decided that the union would represent them at the hearing. "I have a right to be represented by anyone I choose and I selected the BlU. "I've already paid a price by losing my job at BBC. Now they want me to pay again — by hiring a lawyer." He went on to say that the Human Rights Commission found in favour of he and his colleagues by deciding that the company was, in fact, guilty of discrimination. "So why should I have to go through the ex­ pense of hiring a lawyer? This is very unreasonable, in my opinion", he said. He also pointed out that "other people have been known to represent themselves in a court of law." Cousin Juicy concluded by saying: "Even if I have to be represented by a lawyer, I want my case to be heard. I know I was discriminated against because I'm black and because of my union membership." In the meantime, a BlU spokesperson said: "In light of this development, we have called a meeting of the group, which will be held Tuesday, Oct. 14. We will discuss this question of representation at that meeting." BUYS HOME. Brother Calvert Bean, BlU Education Officer {left front), is congratulated by Credit Union pres­ ident. Brother Austin Wade following Bean's purchase of the home in which he has resided for 15 years in Ireland OFF TO ITALY. Brother Clarence Light- Island. The BlU Members Credit bourne (above), the second vice president of Union assisted Brother Bean in secur­ the Bermuda Industrial Union, left the Island ing the house from the West End De­ on Thursday for Turin, Italy, where he will do velopment Company. Other board of a four-week course on teacher training. The directors of the CU in the picture are course is sponsored by the International Kenyetta Young, Doreen Lightbourn, Labour Organisation (ILO). Cal Smith and Alfred Bean. OOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGOOOOOOOOOGOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOGOO OOOO OOOOOOOOOO 00 OOOOOO 00 00 00 oooooo Dr, Ball tells College students about trade unions The Research Officer of the Bermuda Industrial Union, Sister They had learned about the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and Barbara Ball, spoke to some 65 students at the Sixth Form Education Dr. Ball told them something about the beginning of the trade union Centre on Monday, September 29. Her subject was the history of the movement in that country where the movement was bom. She then trade union movement in Bermuda. The lecture was part of a compre­ turned to Bermuda and her audience was surprised to learn that the hensive course on "Civilisation", which the students, aged between 17 first imion in Bermuda was formed by a group of black teachers in and 19, have been studying. 1919 — the Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT). At that time, Ber­ muda's society was totally segregated. She told them about the formation of the Bermuda Workers Asso­ ciation, out of which the Bermuda Industrial Union grew. In the early forties, when the Americans started to build their Bases in Bermuda, the Bermudian workers employed there were paid the same wages as their American counterparts. The American rate of pay for a labourer was US$10 per day and the rate for a mechanic was US$15. LABOUR BOARD PASSES LAW The white rulers of Bermuda formed a Labour Board that was re­ sponsible for the hiring of all local labour for the Bases, and passed a law that those Bermudian workers should be paid the same rates as the workers in the local private sector. A mechanic was earning ten shillings (US.60 cents) a day and a labourer received five shillings (U'^''^^20) per day. Naturally, the Bermudians who had been getting Iti S. rates of pay were very upset about this, so they got together MU. lormed the Bermuda Workers Association. Today, Dr. Ball told them, there are 11 registered trade unions in Bermuda, two of which are the Employers Council and the Hotel Employers of Bermuda (HEB). The Workers Voice learned that, because the time allowed was so short — twenty minutes — and the subject being very comprehensive, it was suggested that she return for a further session so that the students may gain a fuller understanding of the trade union movement in general and trade unions in Bermuda in parlicul.iv. A PAPER ON INDEPENDENCE Editor's note: The following is the second bargaining power that will accrue to Bermu­ At stake is the maintenance of a high level part of a discussion paper prepared by Calvin da, from its control over some 600,000 round of confidence, that the move towards indep­ Smith that was delivered to the BlU General trip fares to Bermuda, has to be regarded as a endence will not diminish the profitability of Council recently: major benefit of independence. the foreign enterprises. According to the White Paper on Independ­ In summary, it can be said that the Govern­ For, should these fail, then the industries ence, produced by the former premier Sir ment White Paper is correct in its conclusion which support the international sector will John David Gibbons, independence for Ber­ that the problems facing Bermuda, upon ach­ fail and Bermuda's fragile economy will coll­ muda is simply a matter of England giving up ieving independence, need not be related to apse, like a house of cards. responsibility for Bermuda's external defence, how it makes its living. BUSI^'ESS STRATEGY internal security, certain diplomatic arrange­ The problems will relate to the expression An interesting approach to examining this ments and responsibility for shipping regis­ of unjustified fears, generated through ignor­ question is to look at independence as a ters and civil aviation. These are the official ance and inadequate preparation for the tran­ problem of business strategy. issues. sition period and subsequent life after Indep­ Using this approach, one would begin by endence Day. It is difficult to im^ne an external invas­ examining the impeding factors, impelling ion of Bermuda, with or without England's How we earn our Uving should be enhanced factors, threats and opportunities. One would protection. Modem day excursions by nat­ directly as a result of increased decision-mak­ then recommend appropriate policies, based ions into other territories, usually occur be­ ing power on vital transportation links and, upon this analysis. tween nations sharing borders. indirectly, as a result of broadened contacts Impeding factors are those which are part and opportunities. Bermuda shares no border with any nation, of the general social environment, which act nor is it the subject of a territorial dispute, to impede or slow-up the successful attain­ such as was the case for the Falklands. ment of independence. Given the undisputed nature of England's In Bermuda, I could list the following: claim to Bermuda, it can, in effect, give clear a) Inadequate representation of black in­ terests in the House of Assembly; title to an independent Bermuda. ECONOMIC OPTIONS b) inadequate representation in the legis­ Under such circumstances, world opinion Bermuda's economic options pertain to the lature for the worker classes; would be fully s^ainst intervention by an un­ choices available to Bermuda, with respect to c) over-representation of big business inter­ friendly power in Bermuda's internal affairs. the development and management of the Ber­ ests in the legislature and machinery of gov­ FOREIGN REPRESENTATION muda economy. ernment. To date, Bermuda has not shown itself cap- At the moment, Bermuda's economic op­ These impeding factors lead to a break­ fU>le of handling a migor breakdown in law tions seem to be limited to some combination down of trust and make the conduct of lab­ and order, having called upon the British of international business and tourism. But our/management relations needlessly diffi­ army on at least two occasions, since the ad­ these two industries have a heavy dependence cult. vent of party government. upon economic factors that are not under Impelling factors are those that exist in However, given proper training and equip­ Bermuda's control. the environment and which act to speed up ment, there is every reason to be confident These factors are as follows: a) foreign or to facilitate the successful attainment of that the Bermudian security forces will be ownership b) foreign capital c) foreign man- independence.

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