A union leader warned last night that teachers could stage industrial action before the end of this term after scores of them stayed away from the Island's public schools yesterday. understands that between 40 and 50 teachers failed to show at five or six public schools, including Francis Patton Primary and Whitney Institute Middle School.

Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) issued 21 working days' notice of a planned strike to the Ministry of Education last Friday.

But Mike Charles, the union's general secretary, admitted after a packed meeting of more than 300 members yesterday afternoon that industrial action could begin sooner than September, when the next school term starts.

He said that teachers at the meeting at the Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters had shown solidarity and a willingness to support a strike.

"Some of them wanted to do it now but we said we weren't prepared to go into complete industrial action at this point in time because there are a number of things happening in schools right now," he said. He added that a committee had been set up to look into what industrial action could be taken following the decision of some teachers to stay at home yesterday.

"I have heard from schools that some people have been not at school," he said. "If these methods will help to do something before school ends, if it will help to do something sooner, then I'm for it.

"If the executive of the union makes a decision that this is what they feel is in the best interests then surely I'm for it."

The Ministry denounced the wildcat strikers yesterday but said schools had not had to close as a result of the impromptu action.

An Education Department spokesman would not comment on which schools had been affected. He said: "The Ministry of Education and Development notes a higher than average number of absences among our teaching staff at several public schools.

"This is of significant concern in light of recent misleading statements in the Press by the Bermuda Union of Teachers, the union's 21 day strike notice and the Ministry's good faith efforts to resolve outstanding issues.

"We encourage all our teachers to resist efforts to disrupt the education of our children. And we are encouraged that with all of the schools affected, most of the students have remained in school.

"It is worth repeating that the Ministry has recommended third party mediation to resolve outstanding issues and the BUT has agreed with that recommendation.

"The general public ? parents of our students in particular ? deserve an explanation as to why the BUT insists on disrupting the public school system with such tactics, having agreed to go to third party mediation."

The strike notice was issued after talks between the Ministry and the union broke down last week.

Mr. Charles said the final straw in the failed negotiations was the fact that the Ministry wanted to pay pre-school administrators on a pro rata basis, so they would not receive a salary for the two-month summer break.

Mr. Charles said teachers "expressed complete support in what the union is doing".

He said: "The strike notice is not something that we wanted to do. We were forced into doing it just to get some kind of attention from the Ministry.

"The Ministry seemed willing to sit and talk from now until Doomsday.

"We hope that some kind of reasonableness will prevail and that we can come to some kind of an agreement. We don't want to do this."

He said a vote of the full membership would take place before any strike began.

A female teacher, who asked not to be named, said she was not happy with the Ministry or the union. "The children fall between the cracks and that's something I'm not happy with," she said.

A source told that six teachers reported absent at Francis Patton Primary School in Hamilton parish, which has fewer than 20 students.

One of the Island's five middle schools is understood to have been missing 12 teachers, while another primary school is believed to have had eight teachers off work.

Gloria Martin, principal of Francis Patton, said: "Everything is as per usual. The kids are fine, the teachers are fine."