A huge turnout greeted the first Labour Day under the Progressive Labour Party yesterday.

Tourism minister David Allen told The Royal Gazette : "I've flown 3,000 miles from a personal trip to be here today. There was no way I was going to miss this.'' To mark the Year of the Older Person the parade was led by the Labour movement's senior citizens who let the train take the strain by travelling in the motorised tourist railway carriages.

Premier Jennifer Smith told the crowd at Bernard Park that senior citizens had a big part to play in the new Bermuda.

She said: "In the new Bermuda everyone has value.'' She said everyone had the right to satisfying careers rather than just jobs but with that right came the need for discipline and self sacrifice.

She called on every sector of Bermudian society to work together for the new Bermuda.

Home Affairs minister Paula Cox echoed that theme but hinted that there could be trouble on the labour relations front after both BIU president Derrick Burgess and Public Servants Association General Secretary Ed Ball had sought urgent meetings with her over the weekend.

Ms Cox also stressed the significance of older workers.

She said: "We are looking at ways to utilise the talents of older persons.

"The Police service has increased the age ceiling and the prison service encourages retired prison officers to return and fill a void.'' Ms Cox also encouraged Bermudians to register with the department of employment to ensure they didn't miss out on jobs which were going to foreign workers.

She said: "We are bringing in foreign workers to do pot washing jobs. There are a number of jobs where there are no local applicants.

She said people should not be impatient with the new Government. She said: "Stay tuned. Don't be disheartened about the pace of change in the new Bermuda.'' To a storm of applause she added: "You don't have to burn down the barn to kill a few rats.'' The UBP's Michael Dunkley was also well received after acknowledging the crowd with the union greeting of "Good afternoon brothers and sisters.'' He said he had agreed with much that Jennifer Smith and Paula Cox had said and that workers and management needed to work together to ensure Bermuda could cope with stiff international competition.

He said: "It's a dog eat dog world out there.'' Leroy Trottman, president of the 125-million strong International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, warned the audience to be vigilant about the threat of globalisation and liberalisation. He said: "Rise up and be uneasy. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.''