Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety.

Bermuda Hotel Association executive vice-president Mr. John Harvey said Sonesta Beach Hotel, Southampton Princess Hotel, Belmont Hotel, and Marriott's Castle Harbour Hotel had hired a lawyer to go before the Chief Justice to stop the dismissals of five hotel employees from being sent to arbitration.

Mr. Harvey said the dismissals, which date back to 1991, were suddenly being sent to arbitration. The hotels believed it was unreasonable to raise matters which they thought had been settled, he said.

"The hotels are saying to the Minister that we think it is very unreasonable to be putting these matters before a third party having thought they were resolved.'' This week, Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness said he had yet to see the writ.

However, "it's my feeling that outstanding matters or grievances should be resolved,'' he said. "They should not be allowed to be outstanding for so long.'' People felt injured and were waiting for their representations to be heard, Mr. Edness said.

"It's wrong to say they're too old and we shouldn't deal with them. Somebody made them old by not dealing with them.

"It had to be that one side kept prevaricating and saying they didn't want to deal with these things,'' Mr. Edness said. "Time passed and they became old.

"I simply hope that the hoteliers would rethink this business of taking out a writ.''