Arbitration may be the next step Government takes as it attempts to resolve the two-week industrial action taken by teachers in the Island?s public school system.

But Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) general secretary Michael Charles last night said that arbitration in the past has been ineffective and that parents feel teachers are getting a ?raw deal? from Government.

?The Minister does not seem to want to abide by previous rulings,? said Mr. Charles.

He said that if Government refused to meet the teachers? demands, teachers would use their rights under international labour laws to ?press home their case?.

This latest development in the stand-off came as Education Minister Terry Lister addressed more than a dozen parents representing Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) outside the Cabinet Building yesterday morning.

The parents presented a letter to Mr. Lister and called on him to help resolve the action for the sake of students.

Mr. Lister said he would comment on Government?s position at a meeting between all PTA members and the Ministry at Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters tonight. ?We would like your support and to get both sides to sit down and put their case forward,? he said.

Led by national PTA president Wendy Augustus, the parents yesterday asked Mr. Lister to ensure the dialogue between teachers and the Education Ministry continues.

Mrs. Augustus said her concern was that the school year was coming to an end, and students education may be affected by the industrial action.

?The number one priority now is the education of our children. We must ensure that the dialogue continues,? said Mrs. Augustus.

Flanked by Premier Alex Scott and his Cabinet colleagues ? including Finance Minister Paula Cox, Attorney General Larry Mussenden and Youth and Sport Minister Dale Butler ? Mr. Lister said he has made a commitment to ?good dialogue?.

?We are all working together to create a system that is second to none so our students are able to perform to the best of their ability,? said Mr. Lister.

Since last week, teachers have been working to rule, meaning they will not take part in custodial duties such as the supervision of lunch and recess duty and supervising exams.

Teachers claim they took action after Government, at the last minute, said teachers should be paid pro rata with 15 percent knocked off to reflect their long holidays ? a move which the union said goes against the aims of interest-based bargaining.

A proposal presented by the Ministry in yesterday?s newspaper offered teachers 85 percent of the salary of a civil servant. The Government proposal compares the number of days a year teachers work to civil servants and outlines teacher?s leave entitlement compared to that of civil servants.

Mr. Charles said the 1991 Dunst Report stated that teachers should be paid as full-time professionals and not regarded as part-year employees.

?If we listen to the Minister that?s what he appears to be saying now,? said Mr. Charles. ?It?s totally insulting to the profession and abhorrent to hear people talk about us as seasonal workers.?

Possible sick outs at selected schools did not materialise yesterday and a Government spokeswoman said last night the threat of such appeared to be receding. The union would not be drawn on what action it might take should the stand-off continue.

Meanwhile parents are increasing pressure on Government to settle the action ? and quickly ? for the sake of the students.

A letter sent to Chief Education Officer Dr. Joseph Christopher from the Purvis Primary PTA asked Government to put an acceptable offer on the table.

The letter said children were at unacceptable risk during the school day.

?Our point is that you are aware that our children are at risk, but you are not moving quickly enough to resolve this crisis,? the letter said.

There are not enough parents to help with traffic duty at the school bus stop where a tragic accident took place last year, it added.

?The children need to get their Terra Nova Tests and BEAP tests out of the way,? the letter said.

?They have been primed to do these tests and have built up to this moment for weeks. They need to release this knowledge so they can relax and move on.?