Industrial unrest could be brewing at Bermuda College in a row over contracts with under-fire vice-president Donald Peters.

And one lecturer at the Stonington campus yesterday blamed Dr. Peters for the simmering row -- which she warned could escalate.

The lecturer -- who asked not to be named -- said: "I would say there was absolute disdain for this man on campus.

"There is a major problem between Dr. Peters and the lecturing staff. The College is not fulfilling the union contract and this has been unresolved by Dr. Peters.'' The news comes after a row over the renewal of Dr. Peters' contract split staff at the College.

Controversy arose after it was revealed Dominica-born Dr. Peters was being challenged by Bermudian Larita Alford -- currently working in the US.

College insiders said Dr. Alford was better-qualified for the post than Dr.

Peters. But they claimed Premier Jennifer Smith and College board chairman Randy Horton, a Progressive Labour Party MP, were backing Dr. Peters against the home-grown candidate.

The news drew fire from the Opposition United Bermuda Party, which called on Government to make good on its promise of Bermudianisation.

Dr. Peters was defended on Thursday by part-time College lecturer Riquette Bonne-Smith, who said he had turned the College around and was a valuable figurehead for young males in a female-dominated profession.

But the anti-Peters lecturer said Dr. Peters had treated staff "like children'' and "with contempt'' in the current row over contracts.

She said: "I expect the action will escalate because of the way he has handled it.'' The dispute over the lecturers' contract with the Bermuda Public Service Association centres on the number of days a year to be worked and now a mediator has been called.

The lecturer insisted that the contract stated that lecturers should work 195 days a year -- inclusive of the dozen or so public holidays a year.

But she said: "They've now decided not to give us public holidays. We were denied the People's Day holiday in January and all kinds of other things.'' She added: "We expected to finish on June 4 -- instead we were told we had to work until June 24 -- now he's changed that to some other date.'' Another lecturer added: "This man could do a lot of damage to this country and this college in the next couple of years.'' And the insider said on a yardstick used to back Dr. Peters -- that college student enrolment had rocketed under his administration -- had only happened at the expense of entry qualifications.

See related story, Page 2 Peters comes under fire The lecturer added: "Enrolment was boosted by lowering the standard -- but we've experienced a massive dropout rate.'' And the staffer said that Dr. Peters had failed to grasp that the public holidays -- around ten a year -- were vital to professional development.

The lecturer said: "This is not about taking kids to the beach. It's about professional development time, which is being cut.'' Dr. Peters could not be contacted for comment yesterday and College spokeswoman Jannell Dill did not return a call from The Royal Gazette .

Dr. Donald Peters