An international businessman set to quit Bermuda yesterday called for an Island-wide campaign to sabotage new workplace race reporting rules.

And William Williams vowed not to file information with the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality by the April 1 deadline -- and offered to pay the $5000 fine for non-compliance for the first 20 mostly Bermudian-owned companies to make the same pledge.

He also challenged Bermudians and overseas-owned firms to dig into their own pockets to finance others' protests.

Mr. Williams -- who announced two weeks ago that his $10 billion firm was to leave Bermuda amid controversy over time limits on work permits and mandatory reporting of race in the workplace -- said: "I advocate civil disobedience.

"I encourage all employees to refuse to supply their employers with a racial designation or to be creative in their self-characterisation.

"Employees should either refuse to submit CURE documents or send them in with all sections dealing with race-related questions left blank.

"If enough employees and businesses join this strike, the Government will be unable to implement the programme.'' Mr. Williams said his company, STW Fixed Income Management, would not be returning the CURE forms -- and added he would refuse to pay any fine imposed.

He said: "Further, I pledge my personal funds to reimburse the individual fines of up to $5000 each levied on the first predominantly Bermudian-owned companies who are fined for refusing to file or for filing forms with incomplete or deliberately confusing information.

"All they will have to do is let me know that the fine is a financial hardship.'' And he added: "I encourage other expats and Bermudians who care about the future of Bermuda and can afford it to join me in making similar offers.'' Mr. Williams -- whose firm will move to California with the loss of 18 jobs -- said when he announced his firm would go after nearly six years that he regarded the Island as his home.

And he added that he "fully understood'' that the "ghosts of the discrimination of the past still haunt Bermuda's memory''.

But he insisted yesterday: "To co-operate in the implementation of the CURE regulations is to assist in the destruction of the Bermudian miracle.

"Resistance by Bermudians is a courageous, patriotic act. Resistance by expats is not only an important step taken in self-interest, but also an action taken on behalf of those ambitious, hard-working Bermudians and their families who will be the true victims of the collapse of commerce on this Island.'' Mr. Williams -- reacting to a letter to The Royal Gazette in which the writer called for "an expats holiday'' to drive home the importance to overseas workers -- said he supported "some form of strike by the business community is in order''.

But he added he would not support an end to volunteer work and contributions to charities and other local bodies.

Mr. Williams said: "This would disadvantage individual Bermudians who are innocent of the imposition of the harmful work permit restrictions and workplace regulations.'' He added it would also hurt overseas residents, who also benefited from a "happier, healthier and enriched society''.

And he said: "Going on strike in the workplace abrogates our responsibility to our clients, shareholders and fellow workers, many of whom are Bermudians.'' Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister -- who piloted the new CURE regulations through the House of Assembly -- could not be contacted for comment last night.

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