Disruption to public services is set to continue today as workers are expected to down tools to attend an arbitration hearing.

Garbage collection -- which was hit by the stoppage yesterday -- has been cancelled today.

And ferry services were halted yesterday morning as staff left their posts to attend the arbitration hearing in Hamilton.

They were joined by dozens of Works and Engineering, Agriculture and Fisheries and Ocean View Golf Club employees.

And last night Labour and Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness predicted even more workers would down tools to attend the second day of the hearing.

Mr. Edness said he was disturbed by the "dangerous precedent'' of workers leaving their jobs to "stand around'' outside the hearing's venue.

He added: "It is very irresponsible of them. This is a new low in labour relations.

"What's next? Will members want to attend negotiations?'', he asked.

Mr. Edness said he had received calls from angry householders complaining about their garbage not being collected.

He added: "This is an inconvenience to the public. All they need is responsible leaders to represent them at the hearings.

"There is no need for people to stand around outside of the hearing.'' Mr. Edness said he hoped the arbitration would wrap up today so public services could return to normal.

Inside at yesterday's proceedings, it was reportedly standing room only as 26 representatives from the Bermuda Industrial Union joined an 18-strong Government team before arbitrator Canon James Francis.

The arbitration meeting -- whose decision will be accepted as binding by Government and union -- centres around the way pay increases are paid.

This year's 2.98 percent pay award was set to be paid across the board to all employees.

According to Mr. Edness, the BIU wanted a variable rate, with more going to the lowest-paid workers and less to those on higher pay scales.

But BIU head Derrick Burgess said before the hearing started: "It's about trying to change the method of payment of wage increases. The way they want to give it is not the way the workers want it.

"Government wants to dictate to the workers and the workers are not going to be dictated to by them.'' Due to the continuation of the hearing, Government yesterday announced that there will be no garbage collection today as they expected that workers would want to attend the meeting.