after being fiercely criticised by a Board of Inquiry.

BTC chairman Dr. James King, with rebukes ringing in his ears, refused to comment on official accusations that he did not even turn up to the inquiry hearing after being asked to give evidence.

He declined to return calls to The Royal Gazette to answer charges that "a major crisis developed'' after he fired 14 managers two years ago.

The Royal Gazette revealed earlier this year that Dr. King, then acting general manager, and consultant Birute Adams cut the jobs after dumping the original review team from Boston, Dartmouth Research Consulting.

DRC confirmed they would not have made any staff redundant -- and released project leader Ms Adams from her contract when they became unhappy with her review.

And the Board of Inquiry into mismanagement and low morale at BTC also criticised Dr. King for a lack of experience before being appointed chairman.

The 50-page report's crucial first 15 pages condemned BTC's management practices.

Fine details are being kept so secret that only four people were given copies of the original document -- Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess, Bermuda Industrial Union President Derrick Burgess, BTC President Lorraine Lyle and Bermuda Public Services Association President Betty Christopher.

Even now, the report's first section will not officially be made public.

But it has emerged that the key pages said the slump in staff morale was partly due to the appointment of Dr. King as acting general manager.

Criticisms also centred on the 14 sackings and claimed they "poisoned the work environment of BTC''.

The Board also noted that BTC hired 17 overseas workers between January and May this year, up from eight in 1995.

And it said staff resentment over the in-flux of Canadian managers was running deep, and new training programmes need to be implemented.

The report's 13 recommendations have been circulated to all 400 staff at the Bermuda Telephone Company.

Senior managers were also called to an emergency debriefing meeting with Ms Lyle on Thursday afternoon.

The BIU was also criticised for not following proper grievance procedures when 200 staff walked out for four days following the suspension of staff member Vonda Burgess.

But Dr. King has remained tight-lipped, not returning calls to his office and home.

Even a request for an interview, through the firm's public relations office, was turned down.

Ms Lyle also said she was unable to comment on the report's criticisms, because of an agreement with Maxwell Burgess.

She added: "BTC recognises that harmonious management and labour relations can lay one of the best foundations to deliver customer services.

"To this end, we will be addressing the recommendations in the report both individually and jointly with both unions.

BTC brass nowhere to be found "It has been agreed that those recommendations which have not yet been addressed or implemented will be assessed and prioritised.'' A company spokeswoman added: "We have shared this information with our entire management staff.

"The part of the report that we can release is available for any employee to see.'' Home Affairs Minister Mr. Burgess defended the secrecy surrounding the crucial introduction the report.

He said: "I wish to reiterate that it was always the intention and it was agreed between the parties that the only thing I would be releasing would be the recommendations.

"And I don't propose to editorialise on those recommendations at all.'' The recommendations include: better internal communications and quarterly meetings between BTC executives and unions; regaining goodwill lost through the 14 redundancies; unions and managers to abide by collective agreements; training programmes for overseas managers; new programme to Bermudianise staff; staff handbook for each employee.

Dr. James King