Unionised staff at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital walked off the job yesterday after one of their colleagues was fired ­— and further industrial action is threatened.

Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) has been given one week to reinstate the employee, who allegedly got into an altercation with a co-worker.

Bermuda Industrial Union president Chris Furbert last night said the member of staff had ended up in Magistrates’ Court, but had the case against him dropped.

“Two days after he was found not guilty, the hospital fired him,” Mr Furbert said. “They can’t make these kinds of decisions and then, in the end, hold us responsible for the consequences.

“Management needs to stop this kind of behaviour — they should have let it go.”

The sit-in, which didn’t include construction workers at the site, involved “60 to 80 staff from various departments”, he said.

The workers went back to their jobs after a discussion with management, but have vowed further action unless the man is rehired by next Wednesday.

A BHB spokeswoman said the board was “very disappointed that staff put patient care at risk by walking off their job”, and said the sit-in broke the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which requires 21 days’ notice.

“Their action relates to a BIU member who was terminated following an investigation into an alleged assault on another staff member,” she added.

“No advance warning for this action was provided and the grievance process, while well advanced, has not exhausted all avenues.”