Talks between union and hotel representatives appear to have stalled again.

The Hotel Employers of Bermuda and the Hotel, Night Club and Restaurant Division of the Bermuda Industrial Union still have to hammer out a collective bargaining agreement for the next two years.

A one-year agreement is currently in place but it will expire on February 24.

The agreements between the two sides are normally for three years. The last agreement expired in February, 1998, and an abbreviated agreement for one year was finally reached in June.

Both sides at that time promised that every effort would be made to have an agreement for the following two years in place by the end of next month.

HEB chief executive officer John Harvey was off the Island yesterday and unable to comment on the subject. BIU president Derrick Burgess was also unavailable for comment.

However a source said talks were not underway and had reached a temporary impasse.

It is understood that the first round of meetings wrapped up early when union officials arrived with prepared proposals and the hotel representatives did not.

The last bout of wage talks also stalled and went into mediation in April under the guidance of Government assistant labour relations officer Neville Darrell.

Sticking points included the hotels' wish to raise the level of occupancy which marked the point they could begin laying off staff and their desire to shorten maternity leave.

It was further understood that neither side could agree on a base wage increase or how much the mandatory gratuity for tipped workers should be increased.

The talks almost went to arbitration but the two sides then announced the one-year pact which included a three-percent increase for workers and a gratuity increase ranging between 25 and 50 cents per guest.

During the initial discussions leading up to the finalisation of the one year wage pact, neither the HEB or BIU would issue public statements under the new air of cooperation that the Monitor Company had helped build.

Members of the Monitor Company could not be reached yesterday for their thoughts on the latest hiccup.

TOURISM TOU