years of internal wrangling within the organisation.

The top manager, who asked not to be named, told The Royal Gazette that the low morale which led to an unofficial strike last week had been "going on for years''.

Talks to end the dispute surrounding the suspension of one worker are still on-going and both union leaders and BTC chiefs have agreed not to comment until the end of negotiations.

But it has emerged that a group of eight managers at the company are pushing for a secret ballot on unionisation for the firm's junior hierarchy, in a bid to resolve differences between workers and bosses.

Trade union laws approved on Monday exclude middle managers from automatic collective bargaining rights -- but the BPSA has pledged to stand behind senior workers who want representation.

The BTC manager said: "The problems within this company have been going on ever since the restructuring started a couple of years ago.

"There have been some bad scars left as a result of the entire situation and people are frightened to talk about it publicly.

"But people should know that this is something which has been going on for years. It's not just a result of what happened last week.'' Another BTC insider said: "Morale has got so bad at the company now that even some of the assistant vice-presidents are trying to get management unionised.

"Nobody likes seeing the company in disarray.'' The Royal Gazette first revealed the morale crisis last month, when some angry customers vented their fury at facing a six-week wait for new phone lines.

The company confirmed talks about the mood among workers were being held with the BPSA in Joint Consultative Committee meetings every six weeks.

Labour Minister Quinton Edness has already ordered a Board of Inquiry to investigate the relationship between BTC staff and managers.

The three-member board, which could include a top businessman, former legal expert and ex-union leader, will have the power to make legally-binding recommendations for both union and company practices.

The dispute which provoked staff into a four-day walkout centred on a decision to suspend one worker for two days.

Staff who marched off the job have also demanded pay despite skipping one hour's work to protest to the BIU and then going on strike.

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