Bermuda's second largest union has changed its name.

The 3,000-strong Bermuda Public Services Association will now be known as the Bermuda Public Services Union.

President-elect Nigel Pemberton said the change was announced by out-going president Betty Christopher at the union's 50 anniversary banquet on Saturday night.

He said: “It was the highlight of the night.

“After about 20 years of various delegates conferences we have managed to finally change the name.

“It is now officially the Bermuda Public Services Union. It is something we had in the works for years.”

He said the name change had been to get people to ‘think union'.

In the Senate on Monday night, Government Senate Leader David Burch welcomed Mr. Pemberton to his new post and said that while negotiations with the civil servants union had not always been easy the union was committed to bringing the civil service into the 21st century.

He said: “This Government put down the marker by agreeing to the longstanding recommendation for a civil service review.”