new pay deal they had agreed to -- and claimed the offer had simply been misunderstood by the union.

The Bermuda Hospital's Board (BHB) said it wanted to clarify its position before the nurses met with the Bermuda Public Services Association (BPSA) today to discuss what action they should take over the new pay package.

Chairwoman of the board Ianthia Simmons-Wade said in order to enhance efforts to recruit and retain staff at both King Edward VII Memorial and St. Brendan's hospitals, the board had initiated a review of salaries last September. First to be reviewed, she said, were the nurses and allied staff.

She said: "The exercise resulted in upgraded salary scales for both groups, with no less than a two-step enhancement to the staff, effective April 1, 2001.

"The BHB met with the BPSA and informed them of this initiative. The improved salary scales of the allied professional staff were accepted with some minor adjustments.

"After ongoing discussions, the nurses' proposed two-step salary increase was rejected by the Association, and the nurses staged an organised public solidarity march in December.'' And she said that led to further discussions in January this year over pay and conditions, which the nurses claimed were unacceptable.

She added: "As a result of these discussions, on February 12, the BPSA accepted the board's new offer of a two-step salary upgrade to the nurses to be applied over a one-year period, effective April 1, this year.

"During discussions on Tuesday (this week) between the BPSA, myself and Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Reid, the union acknowledged that they had assumed that this proposal was meant to be for the senior nurses only, and not the entire nurses' body. It was on this basis that the union accepted the board's proposal.'' She said the union had believed the two-step increase would be effective from this April for general nurses, instead of a one-grade increase now, and a second next April as for the senior nurses.

But she added: `This has since been clarified, and a management decision was taken to further enhance the board's January proposal with regard to the nurses' salary.'' Last night The Royal Gazette was unable to contact BPSA General Secretary Ed Ball for comment.