Labour Minister Randy Horton has rejected calls to boot controversial CableVision boss Jeremy Elmas off the Island.

The Bermuda Industrial Union made the call during their three-day strike which ended yesterday saying Mr. Elmas had refused to abide by arbitration awards and paid more to untrained foreign workers than locals. But Mr. Horton said: "My only response is that this is an unreasonable request."

The union is also calling for the public to return set top boxes in protest over the companies behaviour. Last night CableVision said around ten people had done so out of 17,000 customers.

Mr. Horton said he had been assured by the CableVision management that there will be no retaliation against the strikers who were supporting two sacked colleagues.

Bermuda CableVision general manager Jeremy Elmas said: "We are pleased our union employees have returned to work this morning so we can continue our restoration work with full force."

Yesterday Government dropped its injunction application in court after BIU strikers returned to work.

A three-person tribunal consisting of a representative each from Government, the union and the company is likely to sit early next week, said Mr. Horton. He said it was too early to give names. Mr. Horton pledged to look at whether Bermuda's labour laws should be changed after strikers again defied the law. In October the Bermuda Union of Teachers defied carried on their dispute for a week after Government evoked the Trade Disputes Act making the strike illegal.

And this week the Bermuda Industrial Union carried on for another day after the same act was evoked.

"We need to take a look at the legislation process as it affects labour relations and we will look to see if there is anything we can do to alleviate the situation."

Asked how the law needed to be amended Mr. Horton said: "I am not quite sure what the problems are. There are some people who feel it is fine. We want to review it."

The minister was asked whether it was the law or the fact that strikers were not obeying the law which was the problem. He said: "That's obviously a concern."