president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, The Royal Gazette has learned.

His successor is to be chosen at the BIU's biennial conference in March. One of two men -- second vice-president Mr. Chris Furbert or first vice-president Mr. Derrick Burgess -- is likely to succeed Mr. Simmons.

And Mr. Furbert, who heads the stevedores and is the union's chief negotiator, may have the edge over Mr. Burgess, who heads the hotel division. "We are supporting Chris Furbert,'' said Mr. Howard Saltus, president of the BIU's construction division.

Various BIU divisions were holding meetings over who should succeed Mr.

Simmons, he said. It was possible that others could be nominated for the top union post.

Mr. Simmons was not accepting calls last night at his Paget home, his wife said. Neither Mr. Furbert nor Mr. Burgess could be reached for comment.

But Mr. Saltus said Mr. Simmons told the BIU general council that he plans to step down.

"He wanted to step down two elections ago, then the last one, and now this one,'' Mr. Saltus said. "This time he was more determined to step down.

"He's been there a long time, and he feels it's time. All organisations need to have a new fresh face.'' Mr. Simmons, 62, was elected BIU president in 1974 and has been a union officer since 1962, representing Bermuda on international trade organisations and at several International Labour Organisation conferences around the world.

A former taxi driver and automobile mechanic, he was appointed to the Senate in 1972 and first elected to the House of Assembly in 1976. He represents Pembroke East for the Progressive Labour Party.

The BIU reportedly engaged in an internal "power struggle'' before Mr.

Furbert was named full-time divisional organiser and negotiator in January.

The general council was said to favour Mr. Burgess for the post, while the executive council successfully backed Mr. Furbert.