Both sides in the Marine and Ports dispute are hopeful that a satisfactory conclusion will be reached today.

Marine and Ports officials are due to meet with Bermuda Industrial Union marine members at a mediation session -- the first time the sides have met since the walk-out of staff last Thursday.

Meanwhile Government ferries returned to service Saturday, after Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess served an injunction ordering staff back to work Friday night.

If today's session -- mediated by Cannon James Francis and the Rev. Godwin Smith -- fails in any respect then the dispute will proceed to binding arbitration on Wednesday.

But BIU President Derrick Burgess last night told The Royal Gazette he was optimistic that everything would be settled today.

"That is the way it should go,'' he said. "Once you have a problem you need to get somebody to sort it out, hopefully it will get sorted out today.'' And Maxwell Burgess said he was happy that either today's or Wednesday's meetings would finally resolve the dispute -- which surround the reinstatement of tug pilot, Kenneth Todd.

"If mediation is unsuccessful to the extent that there are outstanding issues, they will go to arbitration,'' he said. "I am satisfied once the process is complete it will be in everyone's mind that it has been ajudicated on.'' Around 90 Marine and Ports staff walked out on Thursday after Kenneth Todd returned to work following a year's absence. Mr. Todd was at the centre of a confrontation surrounding the sinking of the seized Chinese freighter Xing Da .

BIU members had refused to work with Mr. Todd and although arbitration ordered his return, there were also outstanding grievances involving his crew.

Derrick Burgess