are two of the more disturbing trends in the industry, a top union official has said.

Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess, whose organisation represents some 200 construction workers, said lack of union representation means that workers are not receiving benefits they are entitled to under collective bargaining agreements.

"It's not so much what is happening,'' he said. "It's what's not. Our membership (construction division) has substantially decreased. We had as many as 500 at one point; now we only have less than 200. We are finding that a lot of employers will bid for jobs at union rates of pay but they will then pay their workers less than a full union wage.

"On top of that, they do not pay the workers any benefits because they subcontract the work out.

"What worries me is that when these guys reach retirement age there will be nothing left for them because it is not being paid now.'' Mr. Burgess said other points of concern surround health and worker safety on job sites.

Two recent accidents -- one resulting in the death of a worker in Hamilton -- had only served to underscore the BIU's disquiet.

"We have been fortunate most of the time, but we have already lost one life.

Employers have to abide by the laws of the Country. Unfortunately many just seem to want the end result which are profits, without any consideration for worker safety.'' Works Minister Leonard Gibbons says issues of safety have been a central area of Government's attention.

Consequently, training programmes and lectures are taking place in his own ministry.

"We have these programmes on an ongoing basis for all our staff,'' he said.

"They are run by superintendents, not some college professor who lectures at them, they really know what's going on.

"It is a complete cross-ministry indoctrination with involvement of everyone from our road crews to parks and quarry...we hope that by April all our staff (600 people) will have gone through it.''