because it involved itself in a dispute it could have avoided. Its decision not to continue a legal action before the Privy Council in London has been called "hideous'' by the Bermuda Industrial Union leader Mr. Ottiwell Simmons. All this comes about because Government decided not to fight a court judgment that said there was no contract between the BIU and the Pink Beach Club.

It is, of course, open to the BIU to appeal to the Privy Council but the union does not appear to want to do so either. Yet, it blames Government for not appealing.

We think this arises because Government has a tendency to stick its nose unnecessarily into union-management disputes. As we see it, Government's role is to ensure that there is good labour legislation in place and that the Ministry of Labour is staffed to provide advice and help and mediation in disputes which might impact on the Country. We think that Government has a proper role as a facilitator of solutions to labour disputes but it has no duty to become involved in private labour-management disputes until such time as they begin to disrupt the proper order of the Country. At that point, Government should intervene but not in the dispute, only on behalf of the welfare of the public that is not involved in the dispute.

We understand why Government often becomes embroiled in labour disputes, especially those affecting tourism. Government is concerned about the impact of disputes on the welfare of the Country and the welfare of individual Bermudians. That is admirable so far as it goes. However, Government caring too often turns to direct participation of one sort or another and leaves Government taking the blame in what is essentially a private dispute.

The problem is that labour disputes in Bermuda are seldom treated as an issue between employee and management. They are too often promoted as divisive political or racial issues. In Bermuda, labour disputes are promoted politically as an issue between the BIU and the UBP Government or between the BIU and its friends in the Progressive Labour Party and the UBP Government.

They are promoted racially as an issue between black workers and white management. The truth is that the same disputes would arise in very similar ways if all management was black or if the PLP was in power.

Very often Government responds because it is sympathetic to calls of, "Why doesn't Government do something?'' Better calls might well be, "Why doesn't the Union do something?'' or "Why doesn't management do something?'' Government must learn that there is nothing to be gained from becoming embroiled in these disputes. It should treat them as private issues to be settled between the parties or, at a last resort, by the courts.