Employees of a wholesale company — who feared they could be left short of cash for weeks thanks to a planned new payroll system — streamed into the Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters this morning for a meeting with union and company officials.

Workers at BDC2000, which forms the family of companies including BGA, Brown & Co, Phoenix, Pitt & Co and SAL, attended at Union Square after reports this week of potential strike action.

Up to this point, the company had paid employees three weeks in advance of work carried out.

The new system will see them being paid in arrears — after their work is completed.

Staff were told by the wholesaler that as the process is introduced, workers will be paid only one week’s remuneration for the month of September.

They were reportedly offered loans to make up the shortfall, among other options.

According to a BDC2000 spokesman, the company gave employees until today to sign a consent letter from management agreeing to the changes and accepting the interest-free loan or other options.

Chris Furbert, the president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, held a meeting with 80 to 100 of the company’s 400-plus staff on Monday, when he encouraged all workers — unionised and non-unionised — to unite and strike.

Workers made no comment to waiting media this morning.

It was hoped Mr Furbert would address matters once he was available.