A story in last Monday's paper misquoted Finance Minister Grant Gibbons. He said "it is standard practice that when two parties are in mediation, they should not resort to pressure tactics'', not that they should.

The Finance Minister yesterday made an appeal for union officials to reconsider their overtime ban which has left Cup Match revellers batting from a sticky wicket.

Bus workers today joined ferry workers on an overtime ban which may leave Cup Match fans stumped.

Unless the wage issue is resolved, the overtime ban could put a damper on the Cup Match holiday.

"Cup Match is a special holiday for Bermudians and it would be a shame if their transportation plans were to be upset and they could not go to the game,'' Finance Minister, Dr. Grant Gibbons said.

Bermuda Public Transportation deputy director Dan Simmons revealed on Friday that workers had notified officials that they will join the ferry worker's overtime ban.

A week ago today, ferry workers notified Marine and Ports that they would be launching an overtime ban to protest slow wage negotiations. The action resulted in some ferry services being cancelled.

At issue is the workers' displeasure over the pace at which wage negotiations were proceeding.

Ferry and bus workers are just one of several Government departments in the process of negotiating their wages. They have been without a wage agreement since December 1996.

Dr. Gibbons said the Government was eager to reach an agreement with the disgruntled workers.

"The Government requested that a labour relations officer get involved in the negotiations,'' he pointed out.

Today's bus industrial action will affect charter sightseeing tours, Mr.

Simmons had predicted on Friday.

"It will effect our charter sightseeing tours but there should be minimal effect to the regular bus routes,'' Mr. Simmons said.

And he admitted that if the action continues, Cup Match revellers will bowled out for a duck.

"If it goes on it will effect Cup Match service,'' Mr. Simmons said. "We'll just have to wait and see.'' He had said that bus workers were protesting the same wage issues that irritated ferry workers last week.

"I think they are trying to hurry the negotiations,'' Mr. Simmons had added.

Dr. Gibbons yesterday said that irate workers should not make commuters suffer in their bid to speed up the negotiation process.

"I am saddened that they are doing an overtime ban to push ahead negotiations,'' Dr. Gibbons said. "It is standard practice that when two parties are in mediation, they should resort to pressure tactics.'' Union and Government officials will meet this morning to try to hammer out an agreement.

Gibbons makes plea to union The wage controversy dated back to October 1996 when the Bermuda Industrial Union notified Government that the third year wages for all Government workers, under their collective agreement, were due to be negotiated.

But negotiations did not begin until this January and the wage agreement between Government and the workers expired December of last year.

Workers were unhappy with the slow process and at a recent meeting, Government divisions decided to exercise their "democratic right'' to decline overtime work.

"It is just the wage issue being negotiated, just the third year,'' Dr.

Gibbons pointed out.

He said he believed that when the arbitrator of the BIU/Bermuda Government collective agreement made the ruling, leaving the third year wages to be negotiated at a later date, he wanted the current rate of inflation to be taken into account.

"Inflation has been coming down,'' Dr. Gibbons pointed out. "It reached a low of 1.9 percent in May.'' He said the Government had been trying keep wages close to the inflation rate in a bid to keep transportation prices low for visitors and locals.

"We are trying to stay competitive,'' he added.

Dr. Gibbons said what Government was offering the workers was above the average inflation rate.

The Bermuda Industrial Union will hold a divisional meeting tomorrow in the hope that Government will produce an offer for the workers to vote on.

Bermuda Industrial Union first vice president Chris Furbert told the Royal Gazette on Friday that they were anxious to reach an agreement before the annual two-day holiday.

`It is a positive sign that we are meeting on Monday, three days before Cup Match,'' Mr. Furbert said. "We want to get this resolved.

"We have called a divisional meeting on Tuesday -- if the Government brings an offer on Monday, we will go to them on Tuesday with it. They could vote on it and if it is passed it will be over with before Cup Match.'' Mr. Furbert pointed out that it was the worker's "democratic'' right to turn down overtime.

Yesterday Dr. Gibbons expressed his hope that the matter will be resolved in time for locals and visitors to enjoy two days of merriment.

"I hope that it will be cleared up by Cup Match, the Government very much wants to clear it up,'' Dr. Gibbons added. "But it is up to those negotiating the agreement.'' On Thursday, Marine and Ports Minister David Dodwell announced that a special Cup Match ferry would be running -- if the dispute had been resolved.

"Assuming that the dispute between the Government and the Bermuda Industrial Union has been resolved and the overtime ban of Marine and Ports' staff has been lifted, the department of Marine and Ports are offering, in addition to the regular ferry service, a special Cup Match ferry both Thursday and Friday,'' Mr. Dodwell had said.

The usual summer East/West service between Dockyard and St. George's will be extended into the evening. The ferry will return to St. George's to pick up commuters and depart for Dockyard at 8 p.m., arriving in the West End around 9.15 p.m.

Mr. Dodwell said the Friday ferry will leave Dockyard at 7.45 a.m. and sail directly to St. George's where it will remain all day. It will cruise back to Dockyard at approximately 8.30 p.m.

The Government usually run an East/West ferry during the summer every Wednesday and Thursday.

The regular Paget/Warwick and Somerset/Dockyard ferries will be operating on a Saturday schedule over Cup Match holiday.

If the dispute is resolved, locals will be able to sail through the holiday.