Management and unions are set for pay talks on Friday in a bid to beat the impasse which has led to an overtime ban on the docks.

Yesterday trucks were in long lines with fears that the situation will get worse next week with the Bermuda Day holiday pushing work back further.

Dockers normally begin unloading the Oleander on a Sunday and start again in the early hours of Monday but the overtime ban has meant work doesn't start until 8 a.m. Monday.

Stevedoring Services board chairman Henry Hayward said: "With the holiday on the 25th coming up, the Oleander will not be worked, it will compound things."

Mr. Hayward said his company was offering a pay deal of three percent.

He said the below inflation offer was a sign of the times with container deliveries significantly down in the first quarter of this year.

He told The Royal Gazette: "We are looking forward to Friday and hoping we can find some type of agreement."

Richard Earl, of Bermuda Forwarders Ltd., said truckers were queuing as far back as King Street yesterday.

He said: "There were a lot of upset people but there is nothing the truck companies can do. It's a joke, it's dead slow.

"Everybody is just picking their nose. I didn't pick up until after 2.30 when the Oleander left.

"We normally do more containers between six and eight a.m. on a Monday than the rest of the week."

But a later start was taking its toll said Mr. Earl, with food stuffs, animal feed and medical supplies taking priority.