Bermuda Industrial Union's general secretary continued to insist hotel workers were treated unfairly by management.

Mrs. Molly Burgess held to the position despite five hours of relentless questioning by Mr. Stephen Shawe, lawyer for the Hotel Employers of Bermuda, before the Essential Industries Disputes Settlement Board.

It was the fifth day of hearings before the Board, which is trying to resolve the union-management dispute for a new workers contract.

Board chairman Prof. Ronald Haughton interrupted the cross-examination repeatedly to keep the talks on track. Throughout the day, the two sides exchanged sarcastic comments and occasional laughter.

During questioning, Mr. Shawe challenged the BIU's assertion that special function porters, who work with bartenders at banquets and special events at the Southampton Princess Hotel, were underpaid.

He said the BIU signed the 1988-91 agreement which stated porters would be paid $331 per week by 1991.

But the BIU insisted the rates listed in the agreement booklet for the position were a "printing mistake'', and that the pay increases were not what had been agreed on.

"You are quick to accuse the hotels of underpaying,'' said Mr. Shawe. "Yet you signed an agreement which said something different.'' Mrs. Burgess replied that she brought "the mistake'' to the HEB's attention as soon as workers received their first post-agreement paycheque.

She said Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort did change their function porters' wages to match what had been agreed upon, but the Southampton Princess never made the adjustment.

In testimony made on Friday, Mrs. Burgess said housekeepers at the Princess Club section of the Hamilton Princess Hotel have been reduced "to tears'' because they make less than their counterparts in other sections of the hotel.

"They work the same hours, do the same work and get the same wage,'' said Mrs. Burgess. "But they miss out on the gratuities.'' The Princess Club section is for businessmen, who generally travel alone. Most other rooms have two occupants said Mrs. Burgess.

Mr. Shawe asked Mrs. Burgess what form of compensation the BIU had in mind for the maids' "losses''. Mrs. Burgess said the hotel should make up the difference.

Mr. Shawe made two alternate suggestions to the problem -- a rotation system where all of the hotel's maids are periodically assigned to the Princess Club, and a bidding system where senior housekeepers have first choice of sections.

Both were rejected outright by the BIU general secretary.

On the general subject of wages, Mr. Shawe asked the general secretary if she believed unionised workers should expect the same kind of salary increases they would receive in non-recessionary times, to which Mrs. Burgess replied: "What about workers in a recession? They can't balance their books either.'' Mrs. Burgess also asserted that not every business in the country is in a recession, citing the Bermuda Electric Light Company, the Bermuda Telephone Company and the banks.

Using Telco as an example, Mr. Shawe said the company was doing so well because it is a monopoly. Bermudians have no alternative telephone service he said, so even if they didn't like the amount charged, they would still have to use Telco.

Mrs. Burgess told the board she had no idea how the Bermuda hotel industry was doing financially because the HEB would not give her detailed figures.

The hearings continue.