Workers at SAL have returned to work after management and the Bermuda Industrial Union reached an agreement to end a five-day work stoppage.

The union said staff would return to the job – although the outstanding issue of pay for the time the workers were off the job would go to the Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal for resolution.

Fifteen staff from SAL Southampton downed tools last week over what was said to be a threat to sack a longstanding garage supervisor at the facility.

Vance Campbell, SAL’s chief executive, said that the garage supervisor had merely received a verbal warning over his performance.

A spokeswoman for the BIU said: “The management and union agreed that the manager in question would be placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted around the complaint of alleged bullying and harassment made by the union members.

“The parties agreed that there would be no retaliation by the company against the Bermudian contract workers who came out in support of the unionised workers over those five days.

“Although the talks were amicable and the meeting ended on a positive note, the parties remain at an impasse on one outstanding issue which they agreed the Labour Relations Section should refer to the Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal for resolution.”

A BIU spokeswoman said that issues concerned pay for the workers while they were off the job.