The stage is set for some form of industrial action by unionised hospital workers, after a binding arbitration decision on pay and work conditions fell far short of what was hoped for.

And their anger has been further stoked by the suspension of three union officials for attending a protest organised this week to draw attention to medical social workers' grievances.

A year long dispute on pay and working conditions was referred to an arbitration tribunal by Labour Minister Terry Lister after the workers issued a 21 day strike notice last month.

Some sixty workers at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and St. Brendan's showed up yesterday evening at the headquarters of the Bermuda Public Services Union to hear the tribunal's final decision and made it clear afterwards that they were not happy.

The workers, which included nurses, clerical and technical workers, were practically unanimous in saying they felt "disgusted, cheated and undervalued" by the package arrived at, which includes a retroactive 2.5 percent pay raise until the end of September this year and another 2.8 percent until the end of contract in September 2003.

But it set an overtime rate at a lesser rate than current pay levels and capped sick time allowances according to a formula based on years worked.

"It shows no respect," said one nurse. "I have over 15 years of experience and this is the worse that I have ever been treated. We are officials. We have got degrees, we have got intelligence and we have years of clinical experience throughout the world and they treat us like we don't matter. All he's doing is looking at a budget and his budget does not appear to be real either."

She added that the only certain result of the award was that the Hospital Board will lose the loyalty of the workers.

"I have got something like 15 years nursing experience in the department I work and they are paying me like a third year nurse."

Some members made it clear that this was not just a nurses' grievance.

"We all feel the same and we are all behind the nurses one hundred percent," said a laboratory worker.

"It's not what we wanted, and it's not what we asked for. It's not what we deserve," he added. "It's binding but there's always industrial action available."

Clerical staff, it was explained later, had not had a pay increase for more than 12 years.

Most workers present agreed to refuse to work overtime and to take every break allowed on the job.

"We have listened carefully to the arbitration award. One thing is clear there appears to be little respect based on what we heard. What is more disturbing is that three top union members and officials have been suspended for five days without pay, based on the action which took place yesterday (Monday) with the medical social workers. Keep in mind that no medical social workers were suspended for this demonstration," said Maxine Herbert Watson.

"We as a union stand here today to send a clear message to the BHB, that BPSU members are united and refuse to accept the suspensions handed down to our members yesterday and we will do anything and everything necessary to see that those suspensions are rescinded."

Asked if there was going to be a worker-led ban on overtime, she said : "It's a possibility. We are not mandated to work overtime at the hospital. If the hospital chooses not to pay us at the rate that they were, then it's up to the workers to decide if they are willing to be devalued by working for a lesser rate than they would normally get paid if they work their normal hours."

BPSU Secretary General Ed Ball reminded the group afterward that they could be held personally liable if they make a mistake while working overtime.

"You as a professional must know your limits and they cannot force you if you are tired to work in excess of x number of hours."

He urged the members to "stand together and pass the word around" if they were to achieve positive change. "If the hospital is going to change and be more effective, then it's you who have to galvanise everyone and you must be consistent."

Medical social workers picketed Monday lunchtime over a decision by hospital management to relocate them to other areas of the hospital.

Three union officials, two nurses and a clerical worker, who had taken part in the contract negotiations, were handed five day suspensions without pay yesterday for attending the demonstration.

"There was no investigation done and there were other people out there and, more importantly none of the medical social workers who held the demonstration were disciplined. None of them got any action taken against them whatsoever. So it's clear that it was an attempt to `get back' at union officials," said Ms Herbert-Watson.

"All the people that were suspended took part in the negotiating team. And that is vitally important as far as I am concerned."

Julie Smith, one of the suspended workers, said that she was heartened by the support from her colleagues.

"It was my lunch break and, in my lunch break I feel I have a right to do what I want to do on my lunch break. I went out to support my fellow workers (the protesters)."

She later received a letter from the management saying she was being suspended and threatened with termination if she repeated the offence.

"I feel I was right. And no matter what they try, what they say, I was right and if I have to do it again, I will do it again."