The staff dispute at KFC Bermuda has ended after the fast-food franchise reached an agreement with employees and the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU).Lawyer Delroy Duncan, representing the BIU, told this newspaper last night that the parties had come to a deal which was presented to a judge yesterday in a Supreme Court hearing.As a result of the deal, Mr Duncan said arbitration proceedings in the dispute had been discontinued.The long-running dispute started after company bosses opted not to renew the firm’s three-year-old collective bargaining agreement it had with employees — a move that was condemned by the BIU which said the contract should remain in place until a new settlement was thrashed out.Former Economy and Trade Minister Patrice Minors referred the dispute to arbitration in May 2012 after increasingly acrimonious talks between the two sides broke down.Mr Duncan said yesterday: “The ongoing dispute between the BIU and KFC employees and KFC Bermuda Ltd and KFC Operations Ltd ended today [yesterday] as a result of a last-minute settlement reached between the parties.“At today’s hearing, the Court was informed of the terms of the agreement between the parties and gave leave for the entirety of action No 212 of 2012 to be discontinued.“Both parties applied for an order for costs against the other. After hearing arguments, the Court awarded the BIU its costs of the injunction application granted on June 7, 2012 in this matter. The Court also awarded KFC its costs of action 212 of 2012.”