concern over the increase in the number of wildcat industrial actions in recent weeks.

As Mr. Dunkley noted, the Island has seen a number of limited actions -- as opposed to full strikes -- take place. These have included sick-outs at Hamilton Docks which have slowed regular container ship departures, refusal to work by operators at the Bermuda Telephone Company, refusal to do routine maintenance and administration work at the Bermuda Fire Service and a sick-out at the Transport Control Department.

Doubtless many of the employees concerned in these disputes have legitimate grievances and it may be that they felt they were not being heard through normal channels.

But it is disturbing to see that these actions are being taken -- in some cases apparently without the knowledge of the unions -- on the spur of the moment.

As Mr. Dunkley has noted, Bermuda has "nothing to offer but its service'' and these types of actions damage quality of service immensely.

A person who cannot get his or her imports off the docks, who cannot get an overseas call placed because operators are working to rule, who must spend hours at TCD because staff there are "sick'', and who must wait hours for a fire inspection which never happens will soon question why they are in business -- as either an employer or as an employee -- at all.

When the Progressive Labour Party was elected to Government last November, many hoped that having a Government which drew its support from labour would lead to less confrontational industrial relations.

The recent spate of industrial actions suggests that this will not be the case. It could be argued that under the previous government, these actions could have turned into all-out strikes, but that cannot be determined with certainty.

What is true is that there are, in every workplace where collective bargaining agreements are in place, well laid out procedures for settling grievances. It would appear that these procedures are not being used.

Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox has stated that her Ministry will not shirk its responsibility in acting as an honest broker and seeing the disputes are settled.

Ms Cox and her Government should use their influence to see that wildcat actions of this sort do not occur at all and that the proper grievance procedures are utilised first before any industrial action is begun. The unions should do the same.