The Island?s bus network ground to a halt for eight hours yesterday as a mass walk-out by drivers caused chaos for travellers.

Commuters and tourists were hit by the strike action, which saw 180 drivers and garage workers walk off the job just after 11 a.m. over a staffing dispute.

Tourism and Transport Minister Ewart Brown condemned the industrial action, telling

?Bermuda cannot go on this way. Whether we are in the tourism business or not, the country cannot withstand the cumulative impact of repeated work stoppages. In 2006 we must find other ways to resolve our differences. As for the tourism impact, we are not discouraged. It makes our work more difficult but when others stop working, we work harder.?

Drivers completed their routes yesterday morning before making their way to the Public Transportation Board (PTB) depot near Tynes Bay. Rows of buses stood idle as Bermuda Industrial Union leaders briefed members during a lunchtime meeting on why the stoppage was taking place. Talks between the union and Government officials took place yesterday afternoon, but the bus service remained at a standstill until around 7 p.m.

Bermuda Industrial Union president Chris Furbert said last night that the dispute remained unresolved, and warned there would be further disruption between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. today while another union meeting is held.

He said the problem stemmed from a new position created by PTB management last April of ?supervisory craft foreman? within the body shop. Two internal candidates of equal ability applied for the position, he claimed, but the job was eventually given to the person whom the union considered to be less senior. The matter is with the Labour Relations Office, added Mr. Furbert, and the union is angry that the chosen candidate was given the job in an ?acting? capacity from Sunday despite this.

He said a meeting between the president and secretary of the PTB and officers from the Bus Operators and Allied Workers division of the BIU last Monday failed to avert the walk-out.

?I apologise to passengers for the inconvenience but this could have been avoided if management had listened to our divisional officers last Monday,? he said. ?You can?t decide to go ahead knowing the matter is still with the Labour Department.?

Mr. Furbert said he was ?fairly confident? that the matter should be resolved today.

Glenn Simmons, president and chief shop steward of the Bus Operators and Allied Workers division, also apologised to bus passengers. ?We are looking for a speedy and quick resolution so we can return to work as soon as possible,? he said yesterday afternoon.

PTB Director Dan Simmons said during the stoppage: ?There are no buses running on the Island. I?m not happy about this.?

He said that while he had an ?inkling? what the dispute was about, he would not comment until he was 100 percent certain. He could not be reached last night as further details emerged.

Mr. Simmons had earlier commented that there was no warning of the walk-out and said the first he heard of it was when an assistant director called at about 11.15 a.m.

?As far as I?m concerned it was completely out of the blue. It?s obviously either a misunderstanding of some sort and I wish there was a better way to resolve these issues.

?It?s an absolute inconvenience to the travelling public. I appreciate that but I did not call the work stoppage.?

He would not comment on the legality of the strike. But he added: ?There?s a process to resolve these issues and we should strictly adhere to the process. It?s been quite a while since we had an issue like this directly involving PTB. It?s unfortunate that it?s happened like this.?

When informed about the strike, Government put alerts on the radio warning passengers that services had been pulled. Contact was also made with major firms and information was passed to tourists via Bermuda Hotel Association members.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism and Transport said last night that the public will be advised further following tomorrow morning?s meeting, adding: ?The Ministry takes this opportunity to thank the public for their patience during this time.?

However, Shadow Tourism and Transport Minister David Dodwell said: ?I don?t know who?s right or wrong but it?s the middle of the high season and our visitors have not been able to get the bus. We?re letting them down. Why can?t the Government get a hold of these issues and resolve them??