expired nearly two years ago, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Negotiators for the Bermuda Industrial Union are still involved in talks with senior hospital officials in a bid to boost the workers' pay and conditions.

So far, there has been no threat of industrial action by the legion of porters, caterers, carpentry staff and laundry workers.

But the union handed over their latest proposals for a new contract in a top-level meeting with the Bermuda Hospitals Board last Thursday.

And BIU President Derrick Burgess last night confirmed the staff had been forced to stay under the terms and conditions of their previous contract which ran out in 1996.

Now he is hoping an agreement can be thrashed out within days, as blue collar workers at St. Brendan's and King Edward VII Memorial Hospital grow more anxious.

Mr. Burgess, also a PLP MP for Hamilton East, said: "This has been going on for far too long now.

"In fact it's been almost two years, because the old contract expired in October 1996.

"The union met with the Bermuda Hospitals Board's negotiating team last Thursday. We gave them a proposal and I'm sure we will hear from them shortly.

"I can't give details of our proposal at this stage and I also don't want to say what the stumbling blocks are.

"But we would hope to hear back from the Board this week so we can finally make a breakthrough and sign a new contract.'' The talks with Board executives are being led by BIU organisers Molly Burgess and Dr. Barbara Ball.

Hospital workers are employed on renewable two-year contracts. Workers are kept on the same terms until a new contract can be agreed -- and new conditions can then be backdated.

But the Hospitals Board is still trying to claw back millions of dollars in savings.

Figures for 1997 showed they had $74 million coming in but were spending $47 million on staff salaries alone.

Mr. Burgess added: "There is not a lot I can say about the talks.

"I don't like to discuss negotiations when they are going on. But I can say that we are still meeting and this situation has been in existence for too long.'' A KEMH spokesman last night said executive director Sheila Manderson would not comment because of a silence agreement with the union.

She said: "It is normal that we do not talk about negotiations until they are completed.

"This is an agreement between the BIU and the Bermuda Hospitals Board. Under those circumstances, we cannot comment until the negotiations are completed.'' Hospital workers represented by the Bermuda Public Services Association, including nurses, agreed a new contract before their old terms expired.

BPSA General Secretary Edward Ball said last night: "We are now getting ready to start negotiating the next contract.