Veteran MP Reginald Burrows yesterday blasted the local business community for failing to heed his call to support new Progressive Labour Party back-benchers.

The Southampton East MP last night said he was not surprised that some business representatives were reluctant to comment on his plea.

And he claimed several colleagues had sacrificed "healthy'' annual salaries of about $70,000 for the modest income of $33,000.

Mr. Burrows' call for business co-operation came in Friday's Throne Speech debate in the House of Assembly.

Last night he said his original remarks were misinterpreted as it was not international companies but high-profile local businesses who could best utilise the PLP members.

But he was not shocked that both the Bank of Butterfield and Bank of Bermuda were reluctant to comment on the suggestion that Bermuda's business sector should offer jobs to the "extremely qualified and successful'' lot.

"That does not surprise me at all because it's exactly the attitude I have had to deal with in the past -- with the previous UBP governments this is how it worked.

"I didn't want to bring up names because I don't want to embarrass individuals but when they start to be coy like this I am happy to name names.'' He gave the name of a former UBP MP -- asking that it not be published -- who, he said, was given a job at the Bank of Butterfield on his election. But a spokesman from that bank said he was "not aware'' of the practice.

He said the bank would not comment on employment prospects for the new PLP faces, the practice with previous UBP governments or other remarks made by Mr.

Burrows.

His only comment was that the bank served "all sections of the community and would accord the utmost respect to the Government of the day.'' A Bank of Bermuda spokeswoman was optimistic about commenting by close of business yesterday but then failed to do so.

But Mr. Burrows said what he was suggesting was "common practice''. "With the former government it seems like any of their back-benchers who lost a job when elected to Parliament, one of the major Bermuda businesses quickly found a job for all of them.

"They didn't have to sacrifice a loss of salary like a lot of our people. And it's a big sacrifice when all these people are trying to do is serve our country.'' He gave the example of Dale Butler who on his election as Warwick East MP could not return to his well-paid job as a school principal.

The local Chamber of Commerce could coordinate or oversee the placements and the MPs would be "perfect for many major local businesses in consulting or training roles'', he said. None of them had asked him to make the comments but he felt a duty to do so as a senior MP having heard some of them speak of their sudden search for new jobs.

But last night a Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman ruled out the organisation acting as a job club for unemployed MPs. She said: "We are an organisation which is working in the interests of the business community.

"We intend to work very closely with the Government in bringing the issues of our members to them.'' But she added: "In the sense of acting as an intermediary in seeking business opportunities or employment, that has never been done in the past.'' Reginald Burrows