Furious security staff at Bermuda International Airport could go on strike ? and bring the airport to a standstill ? in a row over pay and working hours.

A concerned security worker told that about 50 staff from the Bermuda Security Group may walk out if ongoing talks between bosses and union officials grind to a halt. She said: ?We are trying to avoid it, but if it comes to it and we went on strike, it would close the airport down.?

The worker, who asked not to be named for fear of losing her job, said staff who deal with baggage and screen luggage at the airport were sick of working long hours for ?slave? wages.

?We have been complaining and complaining,? she added. ?It?s like slavery has not gone. There?s not one day where we work one person?s job. We are working overtime just to get a normal salary. We need more money and enough staff.?

She said there was regularly one person carrying the workload of two or three staff, who earn between $12 an hour as cargo guards, to up to $18 an hour at supervisor level. The working atmosphere was potentially putting passenger safety in danger, she warned, because staff could not give luggage screening their full attention.

?Most people work 12 to 15 hour days. We are not forced to do this but we have to because we have to pay our rent. We can?t afford to work under ten hours a day. We wouldn?t know what it?s like to have two days off a week. It just does not happen.?

She said the dispute with management ? which has been running for about 18 months ? was now at arbitration stage, but she added: ?It has been like this for months.?

Asked about the possibility of strike action, the security worker said staff had to give 21 days? notice before staging a walk out.

Derrick Burgess, president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, confirmed the dispute over pay and hours was at the arbitration stage because a settlement with management had not been finalised.

?That?s unfortunate,? he added. ?But management have not been as co-operative as most management are. The security staff have been very, very patient. My hat goes off to them.?

Mr. Burgess said that there could be no strike during the arbitration spell and added that he was confident of the union being able to strike a good deal for workers.

Airport General Manager James Howes was not available to comment yesterday on the possibility of disruption at the terminal.

But an airport official told : ?We have no comment as we have not been officially informed about any strike action.?

Despite several requests, nobody from Bermuda Security Group was available for comment.