The Bermuda Industrial Union's decision to stay away from a three-day industrial-relations conference was "a bad case of public relations'' a visiting labour expert said yesterday. The man conducting the seminar, Professor of Industrial Relations Dr. Dan Kruger of Michigan State University, said the union's absence was a loss to all concerned and advised the BIU a boycott was no way to score public relations points.

"I don't understand that. I saw it in the newspaper and I knew about it but I don't know what the issues are.

"It's a loss. In fact I think it's a bad case of public relations. We are not talking about how to beat the union here. If the BIU is attempting to win public support this is not the way to do it,'' he said during a break in the first day of the seminar. And Labour and Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness called the BIU's absence disappointing and premature.

Mr. Edness took issue with BIU president Derrick Burgess's claim that Government was not living up to its commitments because of the failure of small hotel operators to sign on to a 1995 arbitrated settlement with the union's hotel workers.

"We can't force the small hotel operators to sign something if they don't want to. After all this is a democracy,'' said Mr. Edness.

"And the BIU knows full well that Government is doing all it can to resolve this issue; but it takes time and dialogue. They've been informed and know I've referred the matter to the Labour Advisory Council.'' At the centre of the dispute -- now simmering for more than a year -- is a clause in the 1991 Essential Industries Act which implies any agreement signed is to be considered binding in perpetuity. Small hotel operators have received legal advice highlighting this interpretation, said Mr. Edness.

"I don't agree with it and I think it's unfortunate. We've discussed it with the union and told them we plan to amend the legislation when the house resumes sitting. The larger hotels have signed on with no problems,'' noted the Minister.

The BIU has decided to register its displeasure by not attending the conference, continuing today and tomorrow at the Hamilton Princess, saying there was no point in talking with people who won't abide by their own agreements.

Mr. Burgess in particular was upset Government had failed to at least ink the deal covering workers at the publicly-owned and operated Stonington Beach Hotel, telling The Royal Gazette they "should have a seminar on how they can honour their own commitments''.

The Stonington Beach Hotel is a Government training hotel operated by a board of trustees from Bermuda College, said Mr. Edness, who admitted he too was disappointed the trustees had yet to put their names to the agreement.

"We'd rather not order them to sign and I've been working behind the scenes to get Stonington on side. They are abiding by the terms of the conditions and I've had discussions with the Minister of Education. We both agree we need to encourage the trustees to uphold Government policy, which is to support the union and collective bargaining.'' Shadow Minister of Labour Alex Scott pointed out it's ironic that labour should be put into a position of boycotting a seminar "where you'd expect to see at least a meeting of the minds and goodwill''.

"The union's position is understandable,'' he told The Royal Gazette .

"Given Government's inaction on this issue, especially with Stonington which is funded by the taxpayer, labour must feel all the speeches are just political rhetoric.'' Mr. Scott said the BIU's absence from the seminar was truly regrettable given the importance of the exercise.

"I'm hoping that this only a hiccup and not a further diminishing of relations,'' he said.