Construction Ltd. was out to bust the union.

About 20 unionised construction workers began picketing at the site of the new prison in Dockyard at 4 p.m. yesterday holding placards stating, "unionised workers are not wanted by major contractor'', and "non-unionised sub-contractors get jobs, unionised construction workers get laid off''.

They were also marching to protest the refusal by local construction companies so far to give them a wage hike this year.

Chief negotiator for the Bermuda Industrial Union construction division Mr.

Kenyatta Young threatened "further action'' will be taken if the worker's concerns are not addressed soon.

Their claims of union-busting tactics by Sea-Land stem from a series of layoffs over the past year of unionised Sea-Land employees working on the new prison.

Nearly a third of the 150 unionised Sea-Land employees which began the project some ten months ago have been laid off and replaced with non-unionised sub-contractors, claimed Mr. Kenyatta Young.

He added the sub-contractors were being paid the same, if not more, than unionised workers.

"It does not make sense,'' he said. "They certainly are not hiring the sub-contractors to cut costs -- some foremen are getting paid as much $1,035 a week which is more than the unionised workers are getting.'' It was first believed by BIU officials that Sea-Land was taking advantage of a surplus in the labour force -- due to high unemployment in the construction industry -- by hiring sub-contractors and paying them below the normal rates.

Mr. Young said two more unionised Sea-Land workers were laid off just last Friday and a further six are expected to be laid off this month.

He added that when he met with Sea-Land management it promised that some of the six workers would be sub-contractors.

Sea-Land president Mr. Andrew Cooper last night refused to comment on the situation.

BIU construction division president Mr. Howard Saltus pointed out he knew of several laid off Sea-Land employees who had gotten jobs with non-unionised construction companies and contractors and then been rehired by Sea-Land for the same job.

"They are firing unionised workers and hiring sub-contractors for the same job,'' he charged "In other words Sea-Land is replacing union members with non-union members.'' Mr. Young said the workers' other grievance was that the BIU had been at the bargaining table with construction companies some two months for a new contract and wage hike.

He said the companies were refusing to give workers their annual increase, citing the poor economy as a reason.

But Mr. Young said: "If anyone deserves a raise it's these guys. They deserve one just like anyone else.'' He would not disclose what the BIU was asking for but said it was not higher than six percent.

"We are not just going to sit by and let them tell us we aren't getting a raise because we are in a recession,'' Mr. Saltus said.

Mr. Saltus said the union would take further steps if laid off workers are not rehired.

ON THE MARCH -- Unionised construction workers employed by Sea-Land Construction Ltd. picket at the site of the new prison in Dockyard yesterday to protest what they claim are union-busting tactics by Sea-Land and construction companies' refusal to give workers a wage hike this year.