Government has appealed for teachers to get back to work ahead of today's court showdown scheduled after the strikers' march on Parliament.

The plea was made yesterday by Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans after her bid to force an injunction was adjourned after a three-hour hearing before Acting Chief Justice Norma Wade-Miller.

And there were signs the teachers might end their action rather than risk losing the hearing which could lead to teachers being arrested for contempt of court.

The Bermuda Union of Teachers lawyer BUT lawyer Juliana Jack said today's hearing has been scheduled for 12.30 p.m. - after a scheduled meeting of the teachers at 11 a.m.

Mrs. Jack said: "Hopefully the results of that meeting might make this application moot.

"If they go back to work there's no need for an injunction."

Mrs. Jack said the Attorney General's application for an interim injunction before today's full hearing had been refused by Mrs. Wade-Miller.

She said Mrs. Wade-Miller was very concerned about the situation.

"She has asked the (union) executive to convey to the members her concerns and her hopes the teachers do go back to work without the need for an injunction. But she realises it's got to be a solution that's fair to all and she understands the teacher's concerns are legitimate.

"And she sought to be as fair as possible in every way today." She said the Attorney General was pushing for a restraining injunction to curb the strike which Government say is illegal after Labour Minister Terry Lister referred the dispute to binding arbitration on Monday.

If the injunction is granted those who continued action would be in contempt of court and would face arrest.

Mrs. Jack said: "I certainly would not advise anyone to disregard an order of the Supreme Court.

"Mrs. Wade-Miller said she didn't want to see anyone in jail but if someone did intentionally thwart her court order she wouldn't hesitate to do what the court has to do to uphold the decision.

"I am very happy with how it went today - the injunction was refused."

Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans said: "I am always pleased with an adjournment. It augers well for everyone in the end."

She said she hoped teachers would take the opportunity to return to work after their meeting. "That's everybody's hope - all of Bermuda."

She said she couldn't predict what the teachers would do.

"Had I been a teacher I would say 'I have had my say, now let's end it, after a week of it'." Teachers are striking in a bid to get pay parity with civil servants. Yesterday Acting Education Minister Senator David Burch said a study of salaries between 1991 and 2001 showed teachers had increased their pay by 35.38 percent compared to colleagues in the Bermuda Public Services union who had got 35.06 percent during the same ten-year period.

He said Government had to He said Government had to operate within the bounds of economic reality.

Government could not accept the teachers' offer of a three percent rise and a board of enquiry, said Sen. Burch.

"The difficulty in accepting those conditions which is why it was turned down, you accept you are going to give them three percent and more. Right at the outset by accepting the board of inquiry," said Sen. Burch.

"The ministry did not have the authority from the Ministry of Finance to go above three percent.

However the spurning of the teacher's offer was questioned by one Government backbencher The Royal Gazette spoke to who said: "They should have jumped at that."

Bermuda Employers Council Executive Director Andrea Mowbray said three percent was consistent with other settlements.

"Three percent seems reasonable so I am not sure why they rejected it."

She said a board of inquiry would be sensible because the teachers could sort out wider issues.

Sen. Burch said parents can expect their children will be home again tomorrow while teachers march through Hamilton to protest as Parliament re-opens for the Throne Speech.

He said the Education Ministry was looking at ways for children to recover this week's lost learning time.

He said there was no disagreement in Government about upholding the rule of law, despite the delay in getting a hearing.

"It's taken us two days to get to court. That should not suggest to you that we started today."