A COMMUNITY activist is calling on islanders to be more tolerant of guest workers.

And Civil Rights Coalition of Bermuda chairman Raymond Russell said he can no longer support the ruling Progressive Labour Party because of its treatment of the poor and disadvantaged.

Mr. Russell (pictured), who has worked for the PLP and also has close ties to the Bermuda Industrial Union, spoke out after the Mid-Ocean News revealed last week that a Brazilian guest worker remained on the island for nine days after her work permit had expired and was subsequently put on the Stop List.

The woman had appealed for a short-term extension because her Bermuda-born daughter was about to give birth. She only remained on the island beyond the date by which she had been ordered to leave in order to hear the outcome of that appeal.

This week Mr. Russell said his organisation was representing another deported guest worker who he claimed had been treated unfairly.

He described the appeals system as "communistic" and warned that, with more guest workers expected on the island, Bermudians had to show more tolerance.

"We have Bermudians working in other countries, we have Bermudians in schools overseas and I just hope to God that they don't get treated the same way that we treat some of our guest workers who simply may have a different view of things from ourselves," Mr. Russell said.

"Globalisation is here to stay and when the next hotel opens, 70 per cent of its workers are not going to be Bermudian.

"It's important that the people of Bermuda see what's going on. It's time that all people are treated fairly and based on their merits.

"It's the same when (Immigration Minister) Derrick Burgess went after (Gazette sports editor) Adrian Robson following his comments in the newspaper about the cricket team.

"There was also the Canadian construction guy who was kicked off the island following a confrontation with Government backbencher George Scott. Well, that ruling was appealed and in court it was a whole different ball game ¿ he was seen as a completely innocent individual. People can't boss you out of the country just because you have an opinion that they don't like ¿ Government and the people of Bermuda need to be made aware of that.

"We must remember that these folks come here from a long distance and when you dismiss something like that you're dismissing their whole family. It's not something that you do lightly just because something's not to your liking.

"When you appeal to the Cabinet you have nobody to defend you or represent you so really it's a lost cause ¿ that's why it always goes against you. I was so sure that when the Progressive Labour Party came to power that would be a thing of the past but it's still there ¿ it's communistic, particularly when we're supposed to be so democratic and transparent.

"These type of appeals don't have anything to do with national security or anything like that ¿ it's just about ordinary people. That's why I'm disappointed."

Mr. Russell says he has not given up the fight to have a deportation ruling against a Filipino waiter overturned, and is hoping to take the case to a higher court.

Antilano Del Rosario was dismissed from the Grotto Bay Beach Hotel in July 2004 after failing to show up for work on consecutive days.

But Mr. Russell argued that Mr. Del Rosario had informed his employer that he was sick ¿ and was sacked simply because some colleagues wanted him out.

"He was completely innocent of any wrongdoing," Mr. Russell said.

"We're community-minded people and if there were any problems that came up Mr. Del Rosario tried to correct them. It so happens that foreign workers were being treated sort of unfairly at the hotel and when he set out to correct it, that caused some staff to go against him and he was forced out. He was unfairly deported out of here and I have never been comfortable with the fact that he was driven out of the country.

"To me, as a person that has spent all his life working on behalf of people in Bermuda regardless of their nationality ¿ if something's wrong it's wrong.

"All I wanted was fair play and to come up against situations like this ¿ it makes me feel bad.

"But we're going to take it to another level. I have always been able to raise funds and I can raise funds for a counsel from the United Nations or New York.

"No Minister is above the law and there have been a number of cases last year that show that. Unfair dismissal still comes into play, regardless of when it took place and we know he was unfairly dismissed. His references show that he was a fantastic employee, a fantastic individual. You can find 50 people saying what a great worker he was, and yet here we are in this little country and people can get shafted like that. It has bothered me for a long time.

"In my lifetime I have been part of the union and seen things that have been wrong but you have to stand up for what you believe to be right."

Mr. Russell said he was also disappointed that Government had failed to put through legislation providing unemployment insurance for workers, a plan that was often touted by former Bermuda Industrial Union chief and PLP MP Ottiwell Simmons.

And he accused Premier Ewart Brown of treating former Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield badly when he dropped her from his Cabinet. Mr. Russell worked for Ms Butterfield in her Pembroke West Central constituency.

" When we first became Government, I was sure Otti Simmons was going to put through unemployment insurance for workers," Mr. Russell said.

"In the hotel industry, where I've worked most of my life, for five months of the year your wage goes from maybe 100 per cent to ten per cent. It's a short season and yet, after ten years of a PLP Government we still don't have insurance. It's something that Otti Simmons talked about all the time when in Opposition.

"I also thought it was the biggest insult that Ms Butterfield, who had deputised for the Premier and was a good Minister, was then left out of the Cabinet by him. That tells a tale. That was really filthy because she was treated badly."

"He's got two people in Cabinet who publicly betrayed their wives ¿ that's not the sort of people who you want to be talking to.

"The next election, I won't be voting for the Progressive Labour Party. I'm never going to be voting for the UBP so unless another party comes along . . . "