Dock workers, management and union representatives met yesterday in an attempt to rectify a pay dispute that has resulted in an overtime ban lasting two weeks.

A Bermuda Container Line (BCL) representative described yesterday's meeting as "delicate", adding that the talks were intended to ensure containers would be unloaded in time for supermarkets to receive enough foodstuffs and goods for the long May 24 weekend holiday.

Earlier this week, supermarket owners said that the overtime ban was leading to longer waits for food, meaning perishables were not reaching the shelves until later in the day,

As The Royal Gazette went to press, the outcome of this meeting was unclear, although BCL reported that 40 of the 62 containers remaining on the freighter Somers Isles had been unloaded over the course of Friday.

Yesterday afternoon, one crane was still out of commission due to the dispute.

A spokesman for the freight company said it was hoped that work would resume as normal today.

Cargo management firm Stevedoring Services could not be reached for comment yesterday.