unemployment and prepare Bermudians to take advantage of future job opportunities will be implemented by Government, the Senate was told yesterday.

Government Senate Leader the Hon. Gerald Simons made the announcement after putting the Task Force on Employment report before the Senate yesterday.

He highlighted recommendations aimed at smoothing labour relations and training and retraining Bermudians for a changing job market.

Sen. Simons said the report was prompted by unemployment and a changing world economy in the wake of the recent recession.

And he thanked the task force members and in particular, Mr. David Lines, who chaired the project.

Of 40 recommendations made by the report, Sen. Simons said Government had already implemented nine and was in the process of implementing 18. Only seven, he said, had been rejected outright.

Since the Second World War, Bermuda had enjoyed full employment or even "overemployment'', with many Bermudians working more then one job.

But Bermuda had been spared the full impact of the 4,000 jobs lost because non-Bermudians took the brunt of job losses.

He added world economic changes meant increased competition for the hospitality industry and international business.

On labour relations, Sen. Simons noted the report suggested Government play a reduced role in the resolution of labour conflicts.

Instead, it should provide clear direction on good employment practices to clarify the rights of workers and employers.

A revised code of fair labour practices is to replace a code tabled last year with practical guidelines to reduce confrontation.

Sen. Simons said the report explored the need for the enforceability of collective bargaining agreements where a party that breaches a contract is ordered before the courts.

At present, the Labour Relations Act does not provide procedures for this and so far breaches have not been challenged in the courts.

Other recommendations were that employers should provide information to unions and that unions conduct secret ballots in the workplace. But so far, there were no current plans to implement these, he said.

Legislation on peaceful and sympathy picketing is ambiguous and should be clarified and provisions could be made for the decertification of unions, he said.

Sen. Simons said the report also looked at the idea of compulsory expedited arbitration to force early negotiation in disputes. The appointed arbitrator would look at the final offer of each party and choose either one or the other.

This would force them to negotiate while preventing employers from making ridiculous offers or unions from making unreasonable demands.

The senator said Government is currently exploring the idea of appointing an independent body similar to the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) in the United Kingdom, to reduce Government's role in industrial disputes.

Furthermore, he backed recommendation that Government attend International Labour Organisation conventions to keep abreast of labour developments internationally.

Referring to a section on immigration policies, Sen. Simons commented that "few areas are more complex''.

The aim of the Board of Immigration, made up of Bermudians, was to protect the interests of their countrymen, he said.

On human resources, the major thrust of the report was that Government should revamp its approach to training.

The report recommended a human resources centre be created under the Minister for Economic Development and Human Resources.

"The problem is people are not properly trained to fill jobs,'' Sen. Simons said. But he commended former construction workers who had successfully turned to horticulture after losing their jobs.

He also recommended more links should be established between secondary schools and the Bermuda College.

"Students need a better focus on why they are in school. Schools should be more active in getting kids out into the community,'' he said, adding that a Department of Education officer had been hired for the purpose.

And he commended the Youth Enterprise Scheme for its work to that end.

Since the report, Sen. Simons said the employment situation had improved significantly. Between 1993 and 1994, the number of jobs increased to 716 -- the majority of which went to Bermudians or their spouses.

"It is a very good sign and it shows the economy is recovering from the recession. Overall employment is better than just a year ago,'' he said.

And while hotel, retail, wholesale, construction and defence industries are expected to retrench, restaurants, international business, insurance, finance, personnel and household services and social and community services jobs will be on the increase.

"The challenge we face is to be aware of changes taking place. Government recognises the difficulties the unemployed have,'' Sen. Simons said.

But, he added, people sometimes need assistance in acquiring job skills or counselling to deal with social problems.

"We recognise these problems. The future economy of Bermuda is robust and growing. I hope to be able to face challenges of the future.'' Senate Opposition Leader Sen. Milton Scott commended the report's mandate to ensure future employment opportunities for Bermudians.

But, he said, the hospitality industry had been "de-Bermudianised''. In 1991 the percent of Bermudians employed in the industry was just under 60 percent.

On training, Sen. Scott claimed the education system should be responsible for preparing school leavers to meet employment challenges.

But schools were not doing this as effectively as they had in the past. Only two schools taught economics and Whitney Institute, which had once offered business studies to its students, had since dropped the course.

The good news, he said, was that unemployment figures are down to less than 600 compared with 1,053 in 1993.

But he agreed labour relations still needed improvement and that a mutual mistrust existed between labour and management.

"It is important for all Bermudians to realise that Bermuda relies on us all getting along together,'' he said.

For the economy to grow, it was important for the country to have good industrial relations he added.

Legislation drafted so far had not resolved disputes and labour and management could not afford to go to the courts, he said.

Neither workers nor management wanted enforced bargaining agreements resulting in huge legal bills, he said.

But he admitted Government, as a third party, had made a concerted effort to resolve disputes.

Turning to immigration, he said Bermuda's schools had to first provide Bermudians with a range of skills.

And the Immigration Department should ensure that job descriptions are not written so as to discourage Bermudians.

He added he was pleased to hear Government promise to remove the glass ceiling for Bermudians.

Good training and education would pave the way for better industrial relations and a more stable economy, he said.

Sen. Gary Pitman (UBP) said employment statistics showed Bermudian women have snapped up the "lion's share'' of jobs over the past ten years, while the non-Bermudian employee had suffered most from job cut backs.

While the economic future internationally was still uncertain, Bermuda should "leave no stone unturned'' by directing its attention to the European and Afro-American markets, he said.

At the Immigration Department, computerisation had improved efficiency "one thousand percent''. But the department needed a public relations officer to improve its image.

The report reached consensus in every area of industrial relations but one, claimed Sen. Alf Oughton , which demonstrated how two sides can successfully tackle an issue.

The closing of the bases was a "super challenge'' for Bermuda and could mean an improvement in the labour market, he said.

Referring to the hotel industry, he said Government must look more seriously at why young Bermudians do not want jobs in the industry.

Bermudians working abroad should be sought out and tempted home with enticing job offers, he said.

The report on this debate will be concluded in tomorrow's newspaper.

The Hon. Gerald Simons