Government?s blue collar workers were rejoicing yesterday after learning of their inflation-busting pay rise.

But their gathering was bad news for the travelling public who suffered disruptions to bus and ferry services as Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) workers gathered for a lunchtime meeting to learn of the award.

An arbitration tribunal awarded them a 4.2 percent increase for the first year and 4.5 for the second year.

The money will be backdated to January this year and is higher than the 3.8 percent inflation rate recorded in September.

BIU leader Derrick Burgess said: ?We are very happy with it.?

The meeting was scheduled from 11 a.m to 2 p.m but Mr. Burgess said it was over by noon.

The pay award is mandatory and cannot be rejected by the workers.

Labour Ministry Permanent Secretary Robert Horton said: ?There have been expressions of concern from members of the public about the timing of the meeting.

?The question has been raised as to why the meeting, which was essentially communicating good news, was held during working hours rather than after work.?

Opposition Labour spokesman Maxwell Burgess said: ?It was an arbitrated award and, to the best of my knowledge, all parties agreed to be bound by it.

?While I think it is necessary for the union to ratify, perhaps a more convenient time could have been chosen to minimise the disruption to the public they serve.?

However, Derrick Burgess said: ?In order to have the meeting we had to get permission from the employer and permission was received so we had the meeting.

?We can?t take it upon ourselves to have a meeting in employer?s time.?

Marine and Ports Director Francis Richardson said workers began drifting back after 1 p.m. and full service was running by 1.45 p.m. He said no customers had complained about the disruption.

Public Transport Board Director Dan Simmons said his men were away from work for just over an hour.

He said: ?It?s always an annoyance to have a stoppage in the middle of the day but I can?t control that.?

The arbitration hearing about the sacking of CableVision worker David Green which sparked a three-day national strike in October has been delayed because the tribunal chairman is involved in a major legal case. Larry Scott is representing one of the men in the Lagoon Park murder trial. Some observers predict the case could last several months.

Three local men are accused of murdering an American visitor Stanley Lee, otherwise known as Sean ?Sha? Russels, on or about July 28, 2001.