The future of ten senior hospital staff still hangs in the balance, but one union boss said talks are ongoing and looking positive.

Bermuda Public Service Association general secretary Ed Ball Jr. blasted the source of a local TV news report on Wednesday for "making mischief'' and "misleading the public''.

The report said King Edward VII Memorial Hospital nursing supervisors were disgruntled at being left in a state of unemployment limbo and there was still no progress on the horizon.

But Mr. Ball was adamant no member of the BPSA was responsible for the statement: "I don't know who the source of this story is but they have their facts all wrong.

"Talks are ongoing and in an effort to bring resolution for the employees and the Bermuda Hospital Board, neither side is meant to be talking to the press.'' Under the new Programme Management structure which was brought in this year to make the hospital more efficient, the nursing supervisors had to be re-appointed to new positions but some were left out in the cold.

But Mr. Ball insisted he was now optimistic about their future.

"As a trade unionist there is a certain degree of integrity that must be upheld and part of that is no-one goes to the Press until talks have broken down.

He said the ten staff members were on "administrative leave'' and "exactly aware'' of the progress of talks concerning their future.

UNIONS UNS