afternoon, after a court agreed to stay the $100,000-a-day fine before it was activated.

Later in the day, the House of Assembly passed emergency legislation, creating a system of binding arbitration to deal with intractable industrial disputes.

The three political parties joined together to rush the measure through the House in a single day with the conviction it could deal with the Bermuda Forwarders dispute that led to this week's wide-spread walkouts.

But Bermuda Forwarders struck back quickly, announcing it would seek a court ruling on whether the 15 company truckers who lost their jobs last October walked off their jobs.

The move threatened the unusual cooperation between the parties, and led to Opposition complaints that it had been deceived by the Premier and Labour Minister who had brokered the political accord.

The company's lawyer said it was in direct response to Government "moving the goal posts'' with the new legislation.

Labour Minister the Hon. J. Irving Pearman said he would still refer the dispute to arbitration if the company's court action did not prevent it.

Earlier in the day, the BIU won its fight for a stay of further execution of a sequestration writ ordering $100,000-a-day fines and the seizure of its assets.

But the Supreme Court ruling would not cover action already taken by sequestrators -- including the freezing of union bank accounts.

Looking tired and drawn, BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP announced the end of the national strike following talks with BIU lawyer Mr. Julian Hall MP and a general membership meeting.

"We agree to work without any future protests for the time being,'' he said.

"We ask in return that all unionised workers will be received in their jobs without any action taken against them.'' Mr. Simmons voiced defiance over the latest legal move by Bermuda Forwarders.

The union has always argued the truckers were locked out after striking in support of dismissed shop steward Mr. Lynn Darrell. But the company maintains they walked out of their jobs, flouting their contracts.

"If it's another court battle the BIU is not a sleeping tiger,'' Mr. Simmons said. "It's not resting.'' He said he'd passed the papers to the union's lawyers, adding: "They told me to have a good weekend and not to worry about it. I didn't want to hear any more about it.'' Mr. Simmons went on: "We want to get along with people. If the Bermuda Forwarders are coming with some aggression it's OK.

"If they're right we'll concede, if they're wrong we will stand up and argue and debate. But we have no time for courts. We don't like them. We have never taken anyone to court.

Mr. Simmons said it was characteristic of the Bermuda Forwarders' lawyer Mr.

Alan Dunch to be dissatisfied with any legislation aimed at keeping industrial peace.

"I know him to be a very aggressive and ambitious advocate. Maybe he is executing his ambition and energy in this field.'' Of this afternoon's general membership meeting, Mr. Simmons said: "In this struggle we have just come through we have regained our dignity and self respect.

"We have been presented as an organisation that has got the Country into trouble, whereas in fact we're the organisation that has contributed so much to the Country.

"We had a meeting that overwhelmed with enthusiasm, because they feel they have been going through a tremendous struggle in the last few weeks.

"We are going to take contingency action to ensure that all those suspensions of workers on strike are lifted.'' The BIU had been in touch with the industrial relations office to help these workers, he said.

Mr. Simmons said the BIU was against the sort of compulsory arbitration law that the House of Assembly had passed.

The British Trades Union Congress had called and were quite concerned about such legislation, and also about essential industry legislation, he added.

"It is against the International Labour Organisation Convention and has no place in a democratic society.'' The strike was fading fast, even before it was officially called off yesterday afternoon.

Pickets stayed away during yesterday's industrial action -- for the first time since troubles began -- and Police reported no dispute-related incidents.

All hotel staff ended strike action, and most private and Government businesses reported a higher turn-out for work than previous days.

Buses ran a 30 percent normal service, operating on six of the Island's 11 routes.

Assistant Public Transportation director Mr. Larry Jacobs predicted a full service this weekend. "We're on the road to recovery,'' he said. Sea-Land Construction said 37 workers showed up at its Dockyard prison site compared to 25 on Thursday.

The Bermuda Islander sailed after Stevedoring Services managed to fully discharge and reload her, two days late. But there were no ferries.

The Post Office continued to be hit by staff involved in postal deliveries.

Around 35 people from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and St. Brendan's also stayed out.

Mr. Hume Martin, the board's executive director, said legal action would be considered on Monday.

The Bermuda Telephone Company, which has been hit by walkouts of up to 100 workers, joined Government, the Hotel Employers of Bermuda, Cambridge Beaches and Stevedoring Services in taking out injunctions against the BIU's walkout.

But noting that the industrial action had now been called off, Mr. Simmons said Telco's actions and others that have been threatened had become superfluous.