A significant court appearance starts today for the Island’s unions as their representatives contest a move from the Bermuda Government for a permanent injunction against what it calls unauthorised industrial action.

The Bermuda Trade Union Congress’s case against the Government will be heard by Ian Kawaley, the Chief Justice, today through Thursday.

The case follows marches held in January, when thousands of unionised workers took to the streets and waited outside the Cabinet Office after the Government demanded a swift decision on continuing furlough days for public service workers.

In March, Michael Fahy, the Minister of Home Affairs, sought an injunction against walkouts as industrial action. While an interim injunction was granted, the request for a permanent injunction remains to be decided.

In May, a Labour Disputes Tribunal agreed that a walkout had occurred but ruled that the dispute had since ended and agreed to leave the ultimate decision to the Supreme Court.

While some workers wished to attend the proceedings, Mr Justice Kawaley ruled last week that only those with permission from their supervisors could attend.

While it could be argued that every worker had a right to attend the hearing, the Chief Justice said that it was not necessary and that the courts had limited space to accommodate them.

Executive officers from each union should attend, however.

Yesterday, the Bermuda Industrial Union concurred, asking members who were scheduled to work to remain on the job. Chris Furbert, the BIU president, said the union’s members conducted themselves well, but that in the aftermath of marches in January, “we heard complaints from the public about how our members were behaving”.

“This is a very serious matter — we don’t take these kinds of things lightly,” Mr Furbert added.