Union workers at power firm Belco imposed a work-to-rule yesterday in the wake of controversial management departures.

The Electricity Supply Trade Union has demanded the return of the four Bermudian non-unionised staff, and the removal of two top managers at the utility.

Union members at Belco, owned by the Ascendant Group, downed tools yesterday morning in protest at the Bermudian job losses, with about 100 ESTU staff gathered outside Belco’s human resources department on Pembroke’s Serpentine Road.

Pausing after speaking to workers, Donald Lottimore, the ESTU leader, told The Royal Gazette: “We are at a critical stage right now.”

The industrial action kick-started a day of talks between workers and Ascendant Group directors, including chief executive and president Sean Durfy. It was the ESTU’s second emergency meeting since September 14, when staff launched a protest over the loss of three marketing and communications staff.

The dispute, which Mr Lottimore said had harmed morale at the company, included the dismissal of non-unionised staff.

Walton Brown, the Minister of Home Affairs, voiced “grave concern”.

Mr Brown added: “While it is the right of any private company to manage its resources and staff as it sees fit, it is disappointing that a company such as Belco, under the Ascendant Group, who has had such a longstanding history of investing in Bermuda, have chosen to act in this way.”

Ascendant Group announced on Wednesday that Michael Daniel, Ascendant’s chief strategic development officer, and Carol Ross-DeSilva, vice-president for organisational excellence, had been made redundant.

The firm added that Denton Williams, chief operating officer, and Zehena Davis, vice-president of human resources had resigned.

Mr Durfy said that management was prepared to work with the union. He added: “My door is always open and I welcome further discussions.”

A company statement said Ascendant management had met the ESTU executive over “challenges that the company is facing with respect to costs and reducing customers’ rates”.

Jason Hayward, the president of the Bermuda Trade Union Congress, accused Ascendant of a “ploy” to remove qualified Bermudians in a statement issued yesterday.

Mr Hayward said this week’s dismissals were “extremely alarming”.

He claimed: “These cuts come on the back of retaliatory redundancies that were made less than three weeks ago as a result of the CEO not being able to obtain work permits for expatriate workers to displace qualified Bermudians.”

He said both Mr Daniel and Mr Williams, who had started as apprentices, had worked at the company for 29 years.

Mr Hayward said the BTUC believed that the company’s management had targeted the four because they disagreed with the management of the company and the treatment of workers.

He added that “approximately 20 qualified Bermudians” had been let go over the past three years.

Mr Hayward said the ESTU was “extremely shocked” at the departures of Ms Davis and Mr Williams, who had headed the last round of industrial negotiations.

He added: “These departures come at a very peculiar time as their alleged resignations occurred in the midst of talks which were scheduled for this week.”

According to the statement, the ESTU demanded the removal of both Mr Durfy and Robert Schaefer, the chief financial officer, who was appointed in February.

The ESTU also wants assurances on succession planning for Bermudians, an end to the “systematic outsourcing” of jobs, better training for staff and information on what savings from cuts in wages and benefits had been used for.

The congress also said it wanted to know if the North Power Station would be operated and maintained by Belco employees.

David Burt, the Premier, said last night that the ESTU was “justifiably concerned” by management actions that were “simply not in keeping with the community responsibility we expect from the company”.

Mr Burt admitted the company’s management had a responsibility to shareholders.

But he said: “Even a monopoly must act right.”

UPDATE: this story has been amended to show that the ESTU, rather than the BTUC, called for the reinstatement of four Bermudian staff, and the removal of two managers.