HAMILTON – Bermuda’s ferry services were cancelled yesterday as a result of a dispute between Marine and Ports workers and the government.
In a statement, the government gave no details of the dispute or the work stoppage that had been called by the powerful Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU).
The government statement said that the ferry service had been suspended “until further notice”, adding that commuters should seek alternative transportation arrangements.
It promised to “update the public once service has resumed”.
Premier Ewart Brown, who is also Tourism and Transport Minister, is out of the country but Opposition Leader Kim Swan said he was “unaware of the reasoning behind this major disruption of service” which is widely used by locals and foreigners.
“The announcement of the suspension of . . . the ferry service does not bode well for us local commuters who are dependent on public transportation . . . or inconvenienced visitors participating in our fledgling tourism industry,” he said.
The ferry workers’ action comes little more than a week after bus drivers refused to operate in the aftermath of Hurricane Igor. They claimed to be worried about safety and Brown declared their action “amazingly insensitive” and “very un-Bermudian”. (CMC)
