hiring of deputy principals for the new senior secondary school, a Shadow Minister said yesterday.

Alex Scott, Shadow Minister for Labour and Home Affairs, said it appeared none of the decision-makers involved in the dispute were prepared to deal with the matter.

"This in my view, is a failure by the current Labour Minister to shoulder some responsibility and show some leadership,'' Mr. Scott said.

"That is what a Labour Minister's role is. He should be providing clarity where necessary whenever there is an impasse in a labour matter.

"It is their role to be the arbiters or arbitrators but in this matter the Labour Minister is just trying to pass the buck.'' Mr. Scott was reacting to a story in Saturday's edition of The Royal Gazette .

In that story, the Public Service Commission referred a dispute over the Education Department's new hiring practices back to the Ministry.

The Bermuda Union of Teachers -- which has called for a standardised test and personality profile to be removed from the application process for deputy principals and other top posts in the new schools -- filed a grievance against Education Permanent Secretary Marion Robinson and Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher on the grounds that they breached the terms and conditions of the Collective Agreement.

When the Education Department refused to scrap the test and go to arbitration, the union wrote to Labour Relations Officer Glenn Fubler, requesting that the matter be referred "immediately'' to arbitration.

But Mr. Fubler informed the BUT that the matter fell under the scope of the Public Service Commission.

However, the union disagreed and argued the issue fell within the scope of the Collective Agreement.

Both PSC chairperson Jeanette Cannonier and Personnel services director Judith Hall Bean stressed that the matter was out of their hands.

Mrs. Cannonier told The Royal Gazette the appointment of deputy principals came under the PSC's delegated powers and under such conditions the department head had the power concerning hirings.

But Labour Minister Quinton Edness said that the PSC is responsible for the hiring and firing of teachers.

And it is here that Mr. Scott said the fault lies.

"Mr. Edness has the instruments at his disposal to deal with this matter successfully,'' Mr. Scott continued. "This is an occasion where he should be providing some kind of guidance and protection for the workers.

"Basically this matter should go to arbitration. This is one of the avenues that the Minister can recommend rather than keeping it bouncing backward and forward.

"Mr. Edness has all of the necessary tools and language in the labour contract to allow him to so rule.

"I can understand Mrs. Cannonier's position. She is not a Government Minister. She chairs the Public Service Commission but from our point of view a Labour Minister should step in and facilitate the resolution of this impasse.''