Government and Bermuda Industrial Union officials could meet before Wednesday to discuss their dispute over the termination of the contract to build the new senior secondary school.

A meeting would stave off another mass membership meeting which disrupted public transportation services Friday, but it is not at all clear whether a resolution of the union?s grievances will emerge.

The BIU had demanded a meeting by Wednesday and advisor Julian Hall was reported as saying that another meeting would be held to consider a general strike if Government refused to meet with the union.

?There?s been conversations between the Government and the union and it is hopeful that a meeting will take place before Wednesday this week,? Mr. Hall said yesterday.

?Beyond that I cannot say anything ? there?s nothing to say.?

Premier Alex Scott was reluctant to make any immediate comments when contacted yesterday, saying that he would rather leave it to Works Minister Ashfield DeVent.

?If there comes a time when I should speak, it would be done through the Department of Communication and Information,? the Premier said.

?There has been a lot of misinformation put out there and I would think that in a timely fashion Government would make sure the public has a full appreciation of the facts.?

But he did criticise as ?dangerous ? provocative even? a reported threat of a general strike.

Mr. Scott said at no time had the union threatened a general strike in its conversations or correspondence with Government and questioned whether Mr. Hall had the authourity to speak for the union.

?Is he advocating one ?? the Premier asked of Mr. Hall. ?Is he trying to stir up passions for such an action? I would have thought it ill advised.

?Government doesn?t have a contract with the union. The union has a contract with ProActive. They supported ProActive, they didn?t put money into Government.

?And I don?t think you can call a general strike based on an unfortunate business arrangement with a third party.?

He continued: ?Government had a bond, and we know that the union had a bona fide bond with ProActive.

?But there?s no basis for a general strike on the basis that the union provided funds to ProActive.? He said the amount of ProActive?s indebtedness to the union was only just now being publicly confirmed.

?It would be unfortunate if the public is going to be inconvenienced ? that?s an understatement ? but the Government has nothing to do with it. The union had a business relationship with ProActive. Full stop. So, I think Mr. Hall has to answer some serious questions. Or somebody has to.?

Mr. Hall said no such threat was made at the mass membership meeting and he had ?no authority to speak for the union?.

?All I was doing was reporting what was spoken at the meeting. No decision had been made to have a general strike and there was no threat issued,? he said.

He said he had simply reported that the union had resolved that a meeting should take place with the Government by Wednesday, failing which another membership meeting should be held at which ?all possible measures? would be considered, including the possibility of a general strike.

The union is claiming the right to complete the new school based on the fact that its subsidiary Union Asset Holdings provided a $6.8 million completion bond. Factoring in about $4 million in loans, the union?s total potential exposure comes to almost $11 million.

It is blaming Government?s management of the contract with ProActive Management Systems for having to bankroll the project.

Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons reminded told that the public had two weeks ago been led to believe that there had been a ?meeting of the minds? between Government and the union.

?On Friday, apparently out of nowhere, we heard threats of a general strike. The public has no sense of what?s going on behind the closed doors of either the Government or the union and it would be irresponsible of both Government and the union to allow this situation to develop into a general strike,? Dr. Gibbons said.

?This financial dispute is one which should be handled more properly in the courts and the public should not have to pay for the bad management of the Progressive Labour Party Government through a general strike.?