While officials attempted to calm the waters created by industrial action, an overtime ban by ferry workers turned into a "sick-out''.

Marine and Ports director Ron Ross yesterday said the "sick'' workers forced the early morning ferry services to be scrapped.

And he said the Somerset ferry route was operating with only one vessel instead of the regular two.

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

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

Mr. Ross said tender service between Dockyard and St. George's had to be scrapped as a result of the industrial action.

"The shuttle between Dockyard and St. George's will not be operating today and tomorrow,'' he said. "But the Dockyard/Hamilton service will be operating.'' Commuters were greeted with signs posted on the front doors of the Hamilton Ferry Terminal stating: "St. George's Ferry has been cancelled July 23 and 24.'' The East/West Ferry Service, which cruises from Hamilton to Dockyard to St.

George's, runs mid-day every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the summer.

A second sign at the terminal read: "Cancelled, Somerset Ferry, 9 and 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5.20 and 6 p.m.'' Upon reading the sign one woman turned to her family and said: "We would have been better off taking the bus.'' They then stormed off.

A few people said they had to change their sightseeing plans as a result of the industrial dispute.

One man said he was planning to take the ferry to St. George's, but instead decided to go to Dockyard.

But honeymooners, Freda and Paul Ramee from New York, were more understanding about the action but maintained that public transportation was a good way to get about the Island.

"Sometimes these things happen,'' Mr. Ramee said. "The public transportation is great. It's a good way to see the Island.'' Commuters were not the only ones left adrift by the action as two cruise ships were forced to switch ports on their own.

"There were no tugs to help move the Song of America from St. George's to Hamilton and the Zenith from Hamilton to St. George's,'' Mr. Ross said. "But both managed to move on their own.'' Mr. Ross said he had no idea when the ferry service would be back to normal.

"We are just playing it day by day, we can't tell who will show up for work and who won't,'' he explained. "All we can do is just do the best we can with the resources we have. It depends on how negotiations are going.'' Yesterday, a Labour Relations officer spent the day with both sides trying to calm the rocky sea.

Bermuda Industrial Union first vice president Chris Furbert said Government and BIU negotiating teams met with the officer yesterday afternoon amidst some confusion.

The Government team understood that the session was for mediation but Mr.

Furbert explained that the union had not accepted mediation in the first place.

He said the union had only received a letter on Tuesday stating that Government would like have mediation.

The union side had come to the meeting on the understanding that it would be dealing with financial information. In the end, Finance secretary Peter Hardy was contacted and he made a presentation.

After the presentation, continued Mr. Furbert, the two sides sat down to negotiation and made some progress. They agreed to meet again on Monday at 10 a.m.

He said the Government negotiating team would be meeting with their principals about their position in the meantime as the union had made it clear that they needed a better settlement.

On Monday night, ferry workers notified Marine and Ports that they would be launching an over-time ban which left early morning Paget commuters high and dry on Tuesday.

The controversy dates back to October, 1996, when the BIU notified the Government that the third year wages for all Government workers, under their collective agreement, were due to be negotiated.

"Government, however, did not begin negotiations until January 1997,'' Mr.

Furbert pointed out. "But Schedule 15 which covers wages expired December 31, 1996, which means there is no agreement with respect to wages.'' He said workers were unhappy with the slow negotiation process and at a recent meeting, Government divisions decided to exercise their "democratic right'' to decline overtime work.

"Government has stated that its last proposal, given in January 1997, was the highest it could go,'' he said. "Yet, we have seen Government splurging the tax payer's money for all sorts of reasons, most recently by bringing in an ordinary lawyer at a cost of $1,600 per case to prosecute what would be deemed minor drug offenders.''