Workers don’t know whether they’ll be supported if they lose their jobs this summer because Bermuda Industrial Union is so far behind in its financial reporting, according to Bermuda Democratic Alliance chairman Michael Fahy.The BIU has said it will submit its accounts for 2003 to 2009 for review by its auditors by the end of this week. But Mr Fahy says there is currently no reliable information on the accounts dating back to 1999 meaning members can’t find out whether the union is able to help them during a strike or after redundancies.He believes job losses could be the only way Government can make the necessary savings during the economic crisis, as more than 50 percent of its budget is on salaries and wages.Pointing to redundancies in the private sector, Mr Fahy said: “Will the BIU be prepared to assist workers if something like this has to happen? Is there money in the pot for union workers if there are redundancies to assist those same workers who have paid their dues?“If the union members go on strike due to the current situation is there money in the union coffers to assist the union families? These are simple questions. But there are no answers since the BIU has not filed or published their accounts since 2002.“While we are told that the accounts for 2003 to 2009 are to be sent to the auditors there is still no reliable information from 1999, given that the accounts for the period 1999 to 2002 were not accepted by the Registrar General.”Meanwhile the union would not provide an update on its negotiations with Government over a proposed wage freeze and overtime reduction; members want Cabinet Ministers to take a “symbolic pay cut” before taking a hit themselves.Each Cabinet member failed to respond when asked by The Royal Gazette whether they would be prepared to take such a pay cut. Since last Friday, Premier Paula Cox’s press secretary Beverle Lottimore has consistently said the Premier is unable to respond to questions on the subject as she’s overseas; yesterday Ms Lottimore didn’t respond to questions.BIU boss Chris Furbert did not respond when asked whether he would be prepared to take a pay cut himself. One man who was at last week’s hot-tempered meeting, at which union members rejected the pay offer, told this newspaper: “If they refuse to take a pay cut, we will just have to see about what happens then.“They are telling us to cut back; we are at the bottom. Workers are starting to talk. We are not going to have this. They have got to set some example. They want us to cut back, they are going to have to cut back too. If they can’t live off $100,000 a year, there’s something wrong.”Both Opposition parties say Ministers, most of whom take home at least $168,000 a year, should accept a pay reduction.But Mr Fahy said some members are just as concerned about the BIU’s failure to get up to date with its financial reporting.“The workers who pay union dues every week need this information,” he said. “Unions are formed to support workers not just in negotiations but in times of their need. I have been approached by a number of union members who have asked about this issue and they are not getting answers.“The questions remain: what if anything will union members receive from their union if they go on strike? What if anything in terms of monetary support will the union members get from the union if they are made redundant? What exactly are the union dues used for? Are they invested to maximise returns for the members?”Mr Fahy said a large percentage of the union’s profits is spent on salaries, wages and administrational costs.“Is there value for money here?” he said. “It is concerning in this economic downturn that the workers may end up with nothing to show for their dues. The membership of the union will be the ones that lose out due to poor Government decision making not Government Ministers and not their paid union representatives.”The union has repeatedly been criticised for its slow financial reporting in recent years.But Registry General Marlene Christopher said yesterday: “The Registry General has been closely monitoring the progress of the Bermuda Industrial Union in becoming compliant with respect to the filing of annual audited accounts.“In this regard, the BIU Management has informed the Registrar General that Final Management GAP Accounts and Regulatory Accounts for the years 2003 to 2009 will be submitted to their auditors for review by the end of this week. Work on the audit of these accounts began in November last year.”