Teachers were locked in pay talks with Government last night after agreeing to return to work today after two days of strikes which shut all public schools.

However their work to rule campaign will continue as they put a Tuesday deadline on negotiations in their bid to reach pay parity with civil servants.

Bermuda Union of Teachers General Secretary Mike Charles said the vote by hundreds of colleagues at a packed meeting at St. Paul's Church hall had been virtually unanimous, with one abstention.

He said: "Teachers will go back to work tomorrow and work to rule as we were doing in the past week.

"The negotiating team will begin negotiations again this evening and will negotiate for as long as it takes to get a decision.

"We will meet all weekend if necessary.

"We received a offer from the Labour ministry offering that if teachers go back to work and negotiations start again we will be able to get back to work.

"We have given ourselves a deadline. What the teachers have said is we have a meeting on Tuesday and that time we will decide, based on our report, where to go from here."

In return for the promise to go back to work the threat of mandatory arbitration has been lifted.

Around 40 Government schools were closed yesterday as teachers flouted the Trade Disputes Act which was invoked on Wednesday forbidding further labour action.

Education Minister Terry Lister had hinted Government would act quicker to bring in an injunction if teachers repeated their stance of 2002 when they ignored an injunction.

Asked if Government had sought an injunction Mr. Charles said: "There was a call to our attorney's to go to court at 2.30 p.m. but we never heard anything more about that."

Asked about the mood of the teachers he said: "Teachers came here resigned to do whatever it takes.

"Because of the information we gave them they have decided to give us a chance to get it resolved.

"Teachers really want to get back to the classrooms."

However he said there was no new offer on the table, said Mr. Charles.

"Hopefully people learn lessons, we are hopeful. That's why we are going back to the negotiating table hoping this time around everyone will work to an amicable solution."

Teachers and Government had agreed to a formula in April linking pay to certain grades of civil servants but the union then said Government raised the issue of pro rata pay by attempting to shave off 15 percent to reflect long school holidays.

Mr. Charles said he did not want to discuss Government's bid to introduce pro rata pay.

The union leadership paid tribute to the roles of Labour Minister Randy Horton, Trades Union Congress leader Maynard Dill, Bermuda Industrial Union Leader Derrick Burgess and Premier Alex Scott in getting talks going again.

Students had planned to march on Parliament today in protest about the effect of strikes on their education today but it was not clear whether the action would be withdrawn in light of the return to work.