College chiefs have agreed to go to mediation to try and resolve a dispute between management and the lecturers, it emerged yesterday.

Bermuda Public Services Association assistant general secretary Edward Ball said: "The Labour Department has gotten involved and we have received correspondence stating the college is willing to go to mediation.'' However Mr. Ball warned that this did not eradicate the lecturers' strike threat.

"We still have got to go through the process but at least we are now going through the proper industrial grievance procedures that we are accustomed to.'' College lecturers threatened industrial action when the college board refused to go to mediation to resolve the problem of contact hours -- the number of hours a lecturer spends in the classroom.

Lecturers argued that their contact hours were 50 percent higher then lecturers in North America where they would work between 12 and 14 contact hours.

In Bermuda, lecturers were working anywhere between 20 and 24 contact hours coupled with hours spent preparing for classes, following classes up, in meetings, in the office and doing research.

"Of late I have been logging 50 to 60 hours a week,'' said lecturer Craig Simmons.

Local lecturers want contact hours reduced to 16 with a maximum of 20.

The Board agreed to lower the hours to 22 per week but refused to allow a mediator in to bridge the final gap. The lecturers held a secret ballot and voted to strike by May 5 -- the first day of final exams.

Mr. Ball said mediation could kick in as early as next week.

UNIONS UNS