international embarrassment by refusing to endorse new trade union laws.

The Fraternal Unions of Bermuda last night announced they would still fight to represent middle managers who are denied collective bargaining rights by the new legislation.

BIU and BPSA leaders fear the law will blacken the name of Bermuda and claim it reverses constitutional rights.

And they have threatened to raise the matter at the next worldwide conference of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva in June.

The law authorises ballots on union recognition and derecognition for non-management workers only.

It stops middle managers from using a union to represent them as a group.

But the bill, which has now passed through both the House of Assembly and Senate, still needs the seal of approval of Governor Thorold Masefield.

Edward Ball, General Secretary of the white-collar Bermuda Public Services Association, said the union leaders had already written to the Governor to ask for a meeting.

He said: "Britain is a signatory to the ILO conventions and as such, Bermuda has to ratify those conventions.

"All workers' rights must be adhered to and that is Bermuda's obligation. If he sees fit, the Governor could find that the legislation disenfranchises Bermudians and he can make a decision based on that.

"Otherwise, Bermuda could be brought before the world body of the ILO with respect to its obligation to allow freedom of association and the right to all workers of collective bargaining.

"If we have to go there and say that all our workers' rights are not being protected, then we will say it. The time has come for Bermudians to take charge of their own destiny.'' He added that the UK's Trades Union Congress could back the case against the law at the ILO convention.

Governor urged to reject union law New PLP MP and Bermuda Industrial Union leader Derrick Burgess added: "Lawyers have the Bar Association and doctors have the Medical Association.

"The employers have a union of their own with the Employers' Council and there is also the Hotel Employers of Bermuda.

"But these middle managers now don't have any meaningful representation.

That's unfair. It's exclusion. It's wrong. It's discrimination at the highest level.'' Opposition Senator Milton Scott lodged the PLP's dissent from several clauses in the bill when it passed through the Upper House on Monday.

He added last night: "We are attempting to prevent an international embarrassment.

"The Governor can deny giving his assent to any deal that infringes upon the British Government and its territories overseas.

"Therefore it's incumbent on the Governor to look at this legislation and ensure that the British obligations under the law are met.

"We don't want Bermuda to be cited when we go to the ILO in June.'' The unions' joint statement added that a grandfather's clause in the new law protected the rights of all middle managers already in collective bargaining units.

It added that union leaders would back fresh calls for representation and ask employers to recognise bargaining rights for managers.

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