rise after weeks of negotiation.

The agreement, signed by college bosses and the Bermuda Public Service Association (BPSA) yesterday, also has an anti-discrimination clause.

BPSA Assistant General Secretary Thelma Hart denied it was a bid to calm the atmosphere at the college after several racially-charged public rows -- most notably the Donald Peters affair in which the Academic Vice President was forced to apologise after branding a white colleague a racist.

She pointed out that the agreement was for support staff rather than lecturers who are still in negotiation.

Mrs. Hart said: "The BPSA is trying to make all agreements generic and the anti-discriminatory clause is one of the things we are going for. We have the same clause at the hospital.

"We are just being proactive and making sure these things don't take place in the workplace.''