Bus drivers stopped work in protest yesterday morning after a colleague was fired over a public row with a female motorist.

Visitors and locals were stranded around the Island after about 170 drivers and clerical and maintenance workers attended a Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) meeting between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. to discuss the sacking of Herbert Russell.

They returned to work after union chiefs convinced the Public Transportation Board (PTB)to allow Mr. Russell to keep his job but have a nine-day suspension, according to BIU president Chris Furbert.

Their action prompted a statement from concerned Premier Ewart Brown regarding "frequent disruption" to public transport, while Opposition Leader Kim Swan called for both sides to avoid letting disputes spill into the public realm.

Mr. Furbert said the incident involving Mr. Russell happened on Tuesday as he was pulling out of the central bus terminal onto Church Street, Hamilton.

"Apparently the person that was driving the car was not giving way to him. Apparently, he must have stuck his head out of the window and she stuck her two fingers up," said Mr. Furbert.

"He got out of the bus and went to talk to her. As a result of that, management thought it was a serious matter and he should be fired."

Mr. Furbert said he understood Mr. Russell, who has 23 years service as a bus driver, did not touch the woman but opened her car door to speak to her before passersby intervened.

He added: "I'm not condoning what Brother Russell did and he should have been disciplined but not fired."

Mr. Furbert said PTB director Dan Simmons agreed to reinstate Mr. Russell after a meeting with union bosses yesterday morning. He will return to work on May 19.

The BIU chief said he understood the woman was asked by PTBto give a statement but refused, saying she was scared. The incident was captured on closed-circuit television cameras which Mr. Furbert has seen but he said the footage did not clearly show what happened.

Mr. Simmons said:"There was an industrial action this morning. It had to do with a disciplinary action we took the day before. We have had our due diligence discussions with the union. We have our people back to work. They are back to work and that's pretty much it."

He said the disciplinary action was taken by a junior management employee and was "warranted".

"On appeal, we have sorted it out,"he said.

Mr. Simmons was told about the meeting on Wednesday evening. The Department of Communication and Information did not issue a notice about the action until 9.55 a.m. yesterday, with another following at 12.50 p.m. to say it was over.

The Premier said in a statement yesterday evening: "I am not yet fully briefed on the details surrounding the current situation; however, I am growing increasingly concerned about frequent and unnecessary disruption of public transport."

Just recently I was informed at least one bus operator is suspected of hiding ignition keys for the midi-buses in St. David's, thereby putting them out of service. I am calling on bus operators and every other public service worker in Bermuda to take a more mature and professional approach to their work which too often is negatively affecting the lives of everyday Bermudians.

"The numerous upstanding members of the public service sector should not sit quietly as their glowing reputations are tarnished irreversibly by the actions of a few."Let's start coming to work to work for the people of Bermuda."

Mr. Swan said in a statement: "We are pleased the labour dispute between bus drivers and TCD management was settled promptly, but we remain concerned that the situation escalated to the point where the public was disadvantaged.

"While we recognise the wildcat strike is a legitimate mechanism unions use to get the attention of their negotiating counterparts, we believe the wildcat strike was avoidable had the Government been able to grasp the seriousness of the union's position.

"While we have no interest in pointing the finger of blame at any party, we do wish to make two points: due process is essential for the fair hearing of all sides in any labour dispute and so it should be adhered to from start to finish; and strike action should always be a last resort.

"My particular concern as the Shadow Minister of Tourism is that today's action inconvenienced a lot of our visitors who were trying to return to their ships or to get to the airport."In future, we encourage both sides to work harder at preventing a dispute from spilling into the public realm."

At the Hubert W. Sparky Lightbourne Terminal in Hamilton yesterday morning there was nothing letting passengers know buses were not operating.

All the ticket office windows were closed and the information screens were running details of the normal timetable, meaning tourists knew nothing of the strike."So that's why there's no buses here!" said Norm Mallalieu, 60, from Calgary, Canada. He and wife Dayle, 53, had been planning a trip to St. George's."We'll have to take a taxi as the next ferry isn't until 12.30 p.m.," he said.

John and Jan Barris, from Boston, said they were used to strikes at home but were disappointed they'd have to cancel their trip to the Crystal Caves. "It will be an inconvenience," said Mr. Barris, 53.

Their friend Claire Jolly, 53, added: "We had today all planned out."

Jim Hughes, 52, from Pennsylvania, said he and wife Dina had just arrived on the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship and ferried to Hamilton from Dockyard with a plan to catch a bus to the south shore beaches.

"There is so much to see on the Island,"he said. "It's a shame there's no buses."

News of the action filtered down to locals waiting for buses in town but most seemed unperturbed. One 77-year-old woman, waiting to go home to Somerset, said the strike could well be justified.

"They have a job to do. As long as they don't drive off the Island, it's all right. I've got no choice but to wait."