Hospitals Board and the Government because they must understand that nurses -- like Police officers -- do not take a decision like this lightly.

The frustrations that the nurses feel clearly extend beyond pay. Poor working conditions, staff shortages and shoddy equipment have added to their frustration and driven them to this point.

In addition, the nurses know that they are in high demand around the world, with some countries offering high salaries and bonuses to persuade nurses to move. Given that, Bermuda will, at best, continue to suffer staffing shortages and at worst, it will see a mass exodus of nurses unless pay and working conditions are improved.

Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox has asked her labour relations officers to mediate between the Board and the nurses, who are represented by the Bermuda Public Service Association.

But it may be that the Ministry would be better off appointing a Board of Inquiry to examine the nurses' grievances and the position of the Hospitals Board; clearly there are deep concerns, and in the long run, Bermuda's ability to offer decent health care in the hospitals will be jeopardised if pay and working conditions do not meet or surpass international standards.

RIDE IN CRIME EDT Rise in crime The news that crime increased in the first three months of the year, fuelled by an increase in heroin use, should come as no surprise.

This newspaper has been warning for some time that heroin abuse is on the increase; the great threat to public safety is that users have such a desperate need for the drug that they will do literally anything to get their hands on it. That means crime will rise.

It may be that the recent success of the Police in seizing heroin shipments has cut supply and therefore driven up prices. The result would be increased desperation by the addicts to get hold of money to pay for a drug which is in short supply and more costly than usual. That is one of the ironies of the war on drugs; successful interdiction can have painful side effects and consequences.

The answer to that problem is to treat heroin addicts. That requires that people charged with heroin possession get sent to rehabilitation treatment and counselling instead of prison.

Treatment is not a complete solution; it takes time and is not always successful. But it is better than the alternative, which is drug addicts on the street breaking the law in order to get money and overflowing prisons.

Drug dealers, on the other hand, deserve no compassion. They should be locked up for a long time as a deterrent to others and to protect the public.

Finally, a note of caution: Crime figures can rise and fall dramatically from one quarter to the next depending on whether a few dedicated burglars or handbag snatchers are in prison or free. Very often a crime wave can be the result of one or two people; rises or falls in crime need to be measured over more than one quarter before a definitive trend can be identified.