The top consultant hired to reorganise Bermuda Telephone Company three years ago has declared that 14 controversial job cuts should never have been made.

The Royal Gazette today reveals that Boston-based Dartmouth Research & Consulting, who were commissioned to carry out the intensive review, never planned to axe staff at the crisis-hit BTC.

Instead, the job cuts -- which began a staffing morale crisis leading up to an unofficial strike last month -- were ordered following a different consultation project carried out by BTC chairman Dr. James King and ex-Dartmouth vice president Birute Adams.

Ms Adams was the project team leader for Dartmouth's reorganisation.

But Dartmouth bosses terminated her contract 13 months into the project -- because they were dissatisfied with the way she was handling the task.

Ms Adams, an American, still lives in Bermuda and is understood to have set up on her own as a management consultant.

But Dartmouth President Kevin Fisher last night revealed that she was never mandated to axe Bermudian jobs at BTC.

Mr. Fisher also claimed the company still owed his firm $117,000 from the original consultation -- and he has not ruled out legal action.

He said: "Our objective was to identify opportunities for staff development and expansion and opportunities, not to go in and reduce staff.

"There were some positions that were probably no longer necessary but it didn't come out in any of our documents that we should terminate these people's contracts.

"We didn't set out to do individual witch-hunts.'' Dartmouth ended their review when Ms Adams left the firm -- and carried on with the consultation on her own with Dr. King.

BTC job cuts should never have been made -- consultant Fourteen managers were made redundant months later, following calls from senior staff to be allowed to set up a management union.

Mr. Fisher, who would not confirm he fired Ms Adams, said: "I personally disagreed with the approach and how it was being done.

"But personal matters of employment cannot be discussed.'' He added that Dartmouth had even produced a handbook which allowed for the possibility of a union for managers.

"We were asked to assist in the development of a management handbook, which was done to address their issues and concerns,'' he said.

"It was issued on September 1, 1995. It outlined conditions of employment, benefits, insurance and so forth.

"There was nothing set out which said a management union couldn't or shouldn't be formed.

"We did that through the direction and support of Leon Simmons, one of BTC's board members.'' An insider close to the initial Dartmouth review team added: "There were a number of capable, competent Bermudians who should still be involved in the running of BTC.

"Their redundancies were a great injustice to the company, the staff and the community of Bermuda.'' He said the consultation review conducted by Birute Adams and Dr. King began only after Ms Adams stopped working for Dartmouth.

Ms Adams moved out of her waterfront home on Harbour Road, Warwick, several weeks ago and was unable to be contacted last night.

Dr. King, who took over from the retiring Ernest Pacheco as BTC's acting general manager in July 1995, also declined to return telephone calls to his office and home.

But BTC assistant vice-president Karla Lacey-Minors said: "The contract with Dartmouth Research was completed and paid in full.

"Any outstanding monetary issue concerns work done outside the terms of the contract and as far as we are concerned, it is a closed issue.'' Responding to claims that there was no original mandate to cut jobs, she added: "Consultancy is a very lucrative and competitive industry.

"Not all consultants agree -- not everyone agrees with each other's work.'' A Board of Inquiry, looking at BTC's labour relations, and arbitration to settle last month's unofficial four-day strike by 200 BTC workers is due to get underway at the beginning of next month.

But Shadow Immigration Minister Alex Scott last night demanded a special investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 14 BTC job cuts -- and Ms Adams' work in Bermuda.

He said: "This matter goes to the heart of the breakdown that led to last month's work stoppage.

"It certainly should be of immediate interest to the Immigration Minister.

"The Minister, Mr. Edness, is quite aware of all these facts, I'm sure, and he probably knows the full story even now.

"There have always been complaints about the dismissal of so many Bermudians from the hierarchy of the telephone company.

"They were not only Bermudian but most had been in the service of the company for quite some time. I think the result was that management, for a while if not continually, fell to Dr. King.

"He basically took over the running of the telephone company.'' Former BTC manager Fred Dennis, one of those made redundant, said: "We were told by the general management and by two board directors that the intention was never to make redundancies in the company.

"Then some four or five months later, the job cuts were made. People were treated totally atrociously, called in and made redundant on the same day.

"I would applaud any inquiry into this matter.''