Hamilton workers down tools for fired garbage collector

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16: Manual workers for the City of Hamilton downed tools today after a dispute over a garbage collector fired after being convicted of hitting a teenage girl.

Bermuda Industrial Union members responsible for trash collection, road cleaning and parks maintenance left work for a meeting at the union HQ.

Gary Edwards, acting chief operating officer at the City of Hamilton, confirmed that BIU members had walked off the job for a meeting on Tuesday morning, but returned to work after lunchtime.

Mr Edwards added: “The City of Hamilton has not yet received formal communications on this matter and accordingly we cannot comment further.”

Michael Pond, 43, was fined last month after he slapped a 16-year-old, cutting her lip, after she subjected him to verbal abuse and insulted his mother.

Mr Pond – who told Magistrate Archie Warner that he had reacted “in the heat of the moment” – was fined $2,000 and later fired from his City job.

His case became an internet chatroom cause célèbre and community group The Bermudians started a collection to raise funds to pay his fine.