workers together celebrated a successful wage deal.

As disputes raged around them, BIU officials and employers signed a two-year agreement covering almost 1,000 blue collar Government workers.

They will get weekly increases of $17.50 this year and $11 the next -- raises of about three and 1.8 percent.

BIU leader Mr. Ottiwell Simmons said the ceremony was a rare time of celebration for the union.

"Most of our events have been nothing but sad,'' he said. "I'm very, very pleased that this agreement has been signed.'' He praised both teams in the talks, which took from October last year to this March.

He said he hoped the gathering would start an "epidemic'' which would spread to some other employers. "I trust they will learn the lesson that workers' organisations and management organisations can get along.'' Postmaster general Mr. Clevelyn Crichlow, head of the Government negotiating team, told the good-natured ceremony: "I'm kind of pleased with the way negotiations have gone.

"This shows how two groups of people, if they have the will to come to an agreement, will do so. I certainly must commend the union for the stance they have taken, for my negotiations anyway.'' The deal's second year rise has been hailed by some employers as the lowest in living memory and a success for arbitration.