An e-mail from a purported bus operator has claimed drivers came to work yesterday, but were blocked from doing so by “union leaders”.

The writer of the message, sent to One Bermuda Alliance backbencher Jeff Sousa and subsequently published on his Facebook page, said they believed the union members were being used to bolster support for the People’s Campaign.

Mr Sousa declined to identify the person who wrote the letter, citing the writer’s fear of potential repercussions, and stated he did not want to speak directly to the media.

However, Mr Sousa did state that he knew the writer was a bus operator.

In the message sent yesterday morning, the writer stated that he was sending the message on behalf of himself and other bus operators. “You will most likely hear some bus operators saying they support what’s being done, but those few do not represent the majority and vice versa,” he said.

“There are many members of PTB [Public Transportation Board] that are not happy with what Chris Furbert is doing and do not support the actions he’s taking as it pertains to the Reverend Nicholas Tweed.

“Many of us signed on this morning because we had all intentions of working today. Most of us planned to ignore his orders to down tools and keep driving should he make that decision. Unfortunately, union leaders physically prevented any buses that arrived at Central Terminal from leaving, so we drivers could not continue our work. Drivers who reported to work after 8am were not allowed to sign on, so they couldn’t work at all.”

The writer noted operators’ involvement in the protests last year over immigration reform, describing it as a fight for all Bermudians, while he labelled the present dispute a fight for the benefit of “one person on a work permit”.

He added: “This is not a union matter, nor is it an issue the union should be concerned with because it does not involve a union member or members. Mr Furbert made this point clear the other day when he stated this was ‘personal’ and that he was ‘coming after’ Ms Gordon-Pamplin.

“He must stop using the union to bolster support and numbers for the People’s Campaign agenda and for his own personal agenda. We bus operators are not pawns and should not be forced to endure work stoppages and industrial action that do not pertain to union matters.”

He said the actions taken by Mr Furbert, the Bermuda Industrial Union president, have “caused more harm than good” for bus operators by turning members of the public against them, making it harder to get public support on issues that will negatively affect them.

“We’re called lazy, ungrateful, incompetent, thieves and worse,” the writer said. “We did not go to the meeting and will not be participating in any marches, demonstrations, protests, or whatever other action Mr Furbert decides to undertake in response to this matter.

“We do not support using the bus operators and the union for non-union issues, and for issues that do not benefit every Bermudian. Also, many of us did not support using us bus drivers and the union to bolster numbers for the airport protest, either.”

The writer also added that union members do not get paid when there is an industrial action or work stoppage, explaining that the money is deducted from their pay as an unauthorised absence.

The post sparked numerous Facebook comments. While some wrote that the letter represented the “silent majority”, criticising the union’s actions, others said that decision to take action within the unions is carried out democratically and the number of people who took part in the demonstration yesterday showed the approval of the move.

And, while some thanked the writer for coming forward, other posters, however, questioned the legitimacy of the letter, calling on the writer to give their name if they are honest about their concerns.

Senator Michael Fahy, Minister for Tourism, Transport and the Municipalities, said he had not been informed that bus drivers were prevented from reporting to work.

“If this is true, it is extremely disappointing for the drivers, their families, the travelling public and all Bermuda,” he said. “The Government remains concerned that the travelling public have again been penalised by the fact that the bus service did not operate as scheduled.

“Public transportation is important for many hard-working Bermudians and their children in the planning of their day. I’m happy to report that the ferry service ran as scheduled and I can only hope that all public transportation is back on track as soon as possible.”

He added that he has been advised that bus operators, or any others who did not attend work yesterday, will not be paid until they return to work.

“Those persons who did attend work early this morning will only be paid up until 8.30am,” said Mr Fahy, who confirmed that pay statements would refer to the period employees did not work as an “unauthorised absence”.

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