Not giving employees 'the full picture' can lead to distrust in the workplace, Bermuda Employers Council (BEC) president Eddie Saints said yesterday.

"Staff need to know what's going on so together they can work together," he said. "Businesses have to be up front with employees."

Earlier Mr. Saints, who is also the general manager of Cable and Wireless, told Hamilton Rotarians: "This takes a concerted effort on the part of employers...so that a true and open perspective of the challenges the business is facing can be clearly understood by the employees."

Using his own company as an example, Mr. Saints told the Royal Gazette later that while Cable and Wireless holds annual planning meetings for management, every quarter smaller meetings are held so that every member of the company knows what's happening with the business.

"Every cross-section is included, including maintenance, so that they understand where the business is heading," he said. "At Cable and Wireless there are no secrets."

At the luncheon, as he outlined the purpose and the strategic plan of BEC, Mr. Saints also stressed that the employer, Government and unions need to work together to deal with the increasing pressures that businesses are facing.

He explained to The Royal Gazette that there were several factors which contributed to the economic competition Bermuda businesses were facing. He said, amongst other things, the decline in Bermudians spending locally, and the availability of mail orders and Internet shopping.

"Consumer spending keeps fluctuating, so companies have to look at ways to save cost."

Mr. Saints praised the efforts of the Bermuda Public Service Union (BPSU) for doing what it could to work with employers.

"Their perspective on looking out for the interest of its members is tempered by the realization that businesses today are faced with an entirely new landscape of challenges and are willing to work together to develop solution that are of mutual benefit to all parties," he told Rotarians.

And while he admitted that the Labour Advisory Council (LAC) had not been as active as it could have been, he said that Labour and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister had reactivated the board over the past two months, a positive step, he said to bring issues to light and work towards a resolution for them.

"We've got to get a forum to get people talking. we need to get around the table and deal with issues.

"Some employers need to pull their socks up because communication with staff is important."