Airport firefighters are on on strike alert their bosses BAS/Serco revealed yesterday.

A 21-day strike notice was issued on November 22 with action set to take place on December 14 if Labour Minister Terry Lister does not intervene and refer it to binding arbitration.

BAS/Serco said they were perplexed by the move as the company and the Bermuda Industrial Union had agreed, at a meeting with the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety on June 24, to respect the existing collective agreement and not begin any negotiations on a new collective agreement until after the Supreme Court had ruled on a disagreement over representation between the parties.

Earlier an industrial tribunal ruled that firefighters who wanted to could represented by the union but others could stay out of the union if they wish. The company is appealing in the courts against this decision but BAS/Serco said the Supreme Court hearing has been delayed due to a physical injury suffered by BIU's lawyer Delroy Duncan.

The court hearing has now been scheduled for the first week in March. The BAS/Serco statement continued: "Since our meeting in June the company has met with the BIU and Labour Relations Officer to attempt to resolve outstanding grievances on one occasion and, only last week, agreed to a second meeting being arranged by a Labour Relations Officer for the week of December 9."

BAS/Serco said they were ready to work with the BIU and the Labour Department and would stick by their pledge to resolve issues in a co-operative way.

Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Terry Lister refused to comment about the dispute yesterday while calls to the BIU and Airport General Manager James Howes were not returned.