Essential Industries Disputes Settlement Board this week, union president Mr.

Ottiwell Simmons said yesterday.

But the union was forced to settle for less than it asked for on wage increases in its negotiations with the hotel Employers of Bermuda, The Royal Gazette has learned.

But one bright spot in the award was that hotel employers would no longer be able to take a percentage of workers gratuities, Mr. Simmons said following a meeting with unionised hotel workers yesterday.

"The fingers of employers were taken out of the gratuities which belong to the employees,'' he said. "They can no longer top up the gratuities and put it in their pockets.' He did not comment on whether or not all gratuities would be paid retroactive to February 25, the day after the hotel agreement expired. Mr. Simmons said the most disappointing aspect of the outcome of the hearings was that the tribunal separated the small hotels -- which refused to take part in the EIDSB hearings from the large properties.

"This is not only disappointing, it is very dangerous because all employees belong to the same union and should be under the same agreement. The HEB split up their union in order to split up ours,'' Mr. Simmons said.

Commenting on the feeling of the hotel workers on the award Mr. Simmons said they were very upbeat about the award on gratuities and a number of other things "which will later be discussed in a press release sent to the media''.

However he said there were some things the union did not get such as a day care facility.

Sources told The Royal Gazette yesterday that hotel workers were given a 2.25 percent annual wage increase in the award.

Hotel employees will also be required to pay an additional penny an hour or 21 cents to the Hotel Pension Fund while employers will be required to pay two cents an hour or 37 cents per employee.

Mr. Simmons refused to comment on the reports.

During the hearings before the EIDSB, the HEB proposed a one percent wage increase for live-in tipped and non-tipped employees in each of the three years of the contract, and two percent hikes for each year for live-out tipped and non-tipped workers.

The BIU proposed increases of 7.5, 6.5, and 5.5 percent respectively in years one, two and three on the contract for al employees.

On pensions, the HEB proposed to bump up employer contributions to the Hotel Pension Fund to 35 cents per hour for each of the first three years, and 37 cents per hour for the beginning of year four.

The HEB also recommended boosting employees contributions over the same period to 22 cents, 24 cents, 26 cents and 28 cents. The BIU proposed employers contributions of 48 cents, 53 cents, and 58 cents for each of the three years.

It suggested employees contribute 20 cents for the same years. When contacted for comment, HEB executive vice president Mr. John Harvey said they were still reviewing the award and had not a chance to review it in its entirety "and when we do we will then issue a statement''.