any further effort to negotiate an agreement.

A 21-day strike notice will be delivered to the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs today.

Talks on a new contract for street cleaners, bus drivers, ferry and tug boat workers, and Public Works and Agriculture and Fisheries employees, has been under way since August of 1994.

Some of the workers -- such as garbage collectors and tug boat operators -- are considered an essential service. Consequently the official 21-day notice of a strike is required.

Yesterday the workers packed into the Dr. E.F. Gordon Memorial Hall at the Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters where they voted to strike.

"It was a well attended meeting,'' Bermuda Industrial Union president Mr.

Ottiwell Simmons told The Royal Gazette last night. "They have rejected any further effort on the part of Government to negotiate an agreement. That has been ruled out.

"They have also rejected any form of mediation or voluntary arbitration and they took a strike vote.'' Mr. Simmons said that 205 people voted to strike, 40 were against and Strike vote three ballots were spoilt.

"(Today) we will give Government a 21-day strike notice because a large portion of those workers come under the Essential Services Act.'' Home Affairs Minister the Hon. John Irving Pearman said he met with Mr.

Simmons and his executive team yesterday afternoon and a number of issues were explored during that time.

"I expect that the serving of the (strike) notice gives the Ministry of Labour official cause to intervene.''