Fed-up cement supply workers at Dockyard staged a walk out and marched to the offices of the West End Development Corporation yesterday, demanding to know what is to happen to their jobs in the new year.

Since last Wednesday, when the Bermuda Cement Company was given notice its lease to operate from the site is to end on December 31, a question mark has hung over the operation of the Island's only bulk cement supply facility.

Without any solid evidence so far from either Government or Wedco that a back-up plan is in place to see the continuation of the cement supply operation once Bermuda Cement Company ends its 43-year-old operation, four employees closed down the plant for two hours yesterday morning and went to the offices of Wedco to demand information.

The cement company has been told it must vacate the site at the end of the year after a breakdown in its relationship with landlord Wedco regarding a request to move to a new site, demolish the old facility and build a new one, and sell a proportion of its company shares.

Wedco general manager Andrew Dias, who has just returned to the Island, yesterday declined to comment about what is to happen with the facility come January. He said the corporation is in talks and expects to give a public indication about what is to happen within days.

Construction industry bosses are keeping an anxious eye on developments, with up to 1,500 jobs hanging in the balance if bulk supplies are interrupted for more than ten days.

Cement company boss Jim Butterfield has also renewed a warning that he will need to sell equipment and spare parts from the plant soon unless they are bought by a new operator or, failing that, by Government quango Wedco.

He issued a public apology to anyone who had been inconvienced by the staff walk-out, adding: "Our employees are extremely frustrated at the lack of information that has been forthcoming from the company and Wedco as to what their personal positions will be six weeks from now."

Bermuda Cement Company said it has been advised by its attorneys that, unless it is given a lease extension to run the plant, it must start selling its machinery and equipment to realise as much value as possible for shareholders, he said. The company says it cannot wait as long as the third week of December to begin selling off such assets.

Mr. Butterfield added: "I would ask Wedco to use its good offices to encourage its new operators to contact us with respect to the plant and machinery so that we can commence negotiations with them."

In a statement the company said it had spent $450,000 in the past few years on various aspects of finding a solution to the request to vacate its old site and build a new facility, but had concluded it could not justify the likely $12 million to $15 million cost of a new facility for a market as small as Bermuda.

Wedco boss Mr. Dias said that, as yet, nothing has been finalised regarding the future operation of the plant, and the corporation was actively engaged in pursuing a solution. Wedco spoke with the cement company yesterday regarding its exit as tenant of the Dockyard site.

Mr. Dias added he would present details of the future solution for the bulk cement plant in the near future.