Dockworkers returned to their jobs yesterday and were working overtime last night in a bid to reduce the backlog created by the three-day industrial strike.

The striking 50 workers at Stevedoring Services Ltd. turned out as usual yesterday morning and began clearing the hundreds of containers stockpiled at Hamilton docks, which had sat virtually untouched since Tuesday.

Company president Bruce Lines said empty containers were put back on the Somers Isles cargo ship, enabling it to leave at lunchtime yesterday, and then workers could concentrate on the Bermuda Islander, which had arrived with supplies earlier in the day. But he said a combination of the Labour Day holiday, Hurricane Fabian and the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) strike this week had left the docks way behind schedule, and he estimated it would take at least another week to catch up.

Yesterday, The Royal Gazette was told truckers were lined up on Front Street waiting to collect their cargo, but lack of space at the port meant the dockworkers had little room to work in, and progress was slow.

"We are running as fast as we can," said Mr. Lines.

"The men have agreed to work beyond normal hours tonight (Friday). We would normally go until 10 p.m., but we will go until 11 p.m., so we can unload the ship.

"We are delivering containers (to truck drivers) until 10 p.m. tonight and we will also deliver containers on Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.. We don't normally do that in the evenings or on Saturdays." But Mr. Lines said the main problem was being caused by the fact that the docks were filled with mostly full containers, which could only be stacked two high, where as empty containers could be stacked three high, creating more space.

And he said there was so little room available, when people did arrive to collect their cargo, it was sometimes difficult to reach and obtain.

"We have less working space," he added.

"We are still very congested. I figure it will take us a week to get sorted out. The workers came back this morning - it was as though nothing had happened.

"There is a real willingness to work on the part of the men and to try and resolve the problems down here."

Mr. Lines said the Oleander container ship, which usually arrives on Sundays, would this weekend delay its arrival until Monday, due to the backlog.