that the union was asking Government to force the hotel to accept the ruling of the Essential Industries Disputes Settlement Board, but to use its influence with the hotel's owners.

He said the BIU did not want to strike over the issue, but the members who attended the meeting, which was big, backed the union taking whatever steps were necessary to have the agreement enforced.

Mr. Simmons said criticism by Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan and an editorial in The Royal Gazette of a threat by the union to take industrial action in other hotels if the ruling was not enforced was unfounded.

"A sensible statement would be to say that Grotto Bay was found to be wrong by a properly constituted board and if the Grotto Bay has any complaints, it should appeal its case. The BIU has no right in court as an innocent party.'' He said he did not believe Government could not seek enforcement of the board's ruling.

Mr. Simmons said another meeting of the hotel division to discuss contract talks will be held on Tuesday, May 28.

HEB executive vice president Mr. John Harvey said yesterday the board hearings on the new contract between the hotels and the BIU due to take place on Monday had been delayed for a week.

He said the HEB will today go to the Supreme Court for a hearing on its effort to have board member Mr. Michael Mello taken off because of alleged conflicts of interest.

And United Bermuda Party backbencher Mr. Phillip Smith said he did not agree with Grotto Bay ignoring the Essential Industry Dispute Settlements Board's ruling that it reinstate the mandatory 15 percent gratuity.

"But I do not understand why the union is dragging the Government into the dispute unless it is that if there is no settlement, it can blame the Government.

"The union should take the issue to court, and if the hotel does not adhere to the court's ruling, then the union would be justified in striking at the hotel.

"But once they threaten all the hotels, Bermuda will lose all its group business and the hotel worker is the loser because whether he gets a salary increase or not, with fewer visitors, his earnings will decline. Many of these workers have already spent time on lay-off or short work weeks, he said.

"Bermuda signed the (US) tax treaty to get a tax exemption for conventions, but for the last three years the union has issued a strike threat, leading to cancellation of the business.

"I do not want to hear the union blame the Department of Tourism if arrivals are down because these threats do more damage to the hotel industry than the American recession.

"This dispute is between the union and Grotto Bay, not the HEB, but this will have a negative effect on the BIU-HEB contract hearings.''