"We will continue with our strike," Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees' General Union president Choi Chun-wa said, pumping his fist in the air.

Another representative pledged the strike will continue until they achieved their original demand of HK$950 a day, wiping out all concessions made during the meeting.

The meeting at the Labour Department's Sheung Wan office which began at 5pm was adjourned twice, at 6.35pm and 8.20pm, for consultations - but ultimately the parties were unable to reach an agreement.

"The bar benders had already agreed to drop their wage demand to HK$900 but the employers' representatives simply ignored the offer," Choi said.

The walkout occurred at 9.02pm with the workers saying no consensus could be reached due to the insincerity of the employers.

Employers insisted they could offer no more than HK$875 and that working hours should be from 8am to 6pm, with a 15-minute tea break at 10am and a 75-minute lunch break from noon.

Workers said this meant they would still work 8 hours and suggested a 5.30pm knockoff time.

However, employers then said this would be in breach of contracts which stipulated starting and ending times. Hong Kong Bar-Bending Contractors Association president Tsang Ting-fat said the HK$875 offer already represented a 16 percent pay rise.

He said the salaries of bar benders took up about 90 percent of their expenses, leaving them with profits of between 3 percent and 5 percent.

"Initially, the 30 members of our association agreed HK$850 was already the most they could offer. The extra HK$25 will come from our own pockets," Tsang said.

He said the association had made several concessions but denied any knowledge of the HK$880 to HK$920 offer cited in the news media last week. He hoped bar-benders would return to their jobs but said that he respected their right to strike.

Chief labor officer Bertha Cheng Wai-yue agreed the two sides were still far apart. She said the Labour Department had tried its best to get both sides to the negotiating table.

Despite the breakdown, it will continue to arrange meetings between the two sides.

Meanwhile, To Kwa Wan shopowners and residents Friday complained that the bar-benders' strike was affecting them. They said the strikers were noisy and garages in the area had seen their business slump up to 90 percent as cars were barred from entering the protest areas.

They urged the protesters to choose a new location.

Friday, the striking bar benders brought six roasted pigs to the To Kwa Wan site, suggesting they were ready to return to work. Some said their strike had affected their livelihoods and they hoped to resume work as soon as possible.