Leaders of Bahrain's 6,000 nurses on Tuesday dismissed pay rises averaging 37 per cent as not good enough.

The troubled Bahrain Nursing Society (BNS) says it will continue its fight for a better deal, despite the new BD5.7 million-a-year ($15 million) package announced by the Cabinet on Sunday.

BNS president Rula Al Saffar, whose re-election is disputed by the government, said too few nurses would benefit.

The lion's share would go to nurses holding bachelor's degrees, while diploma holders would miss out, said Al Saffar.

She said the nurses, whose basic wage starts at BD300 a month, would continue the campaign that started in July for better wages and would wear black ribbons after Eid, to mark their discontent.

They are currently wearing white ribbons, in respect of Ramadan.

A meeting will be held later to discuss what to do next. 'There are many nurses who have diplomas and have worked as professional nurses for several years,' said Al Saffar.

'Based on their experience, they should also be considered for the increment.

'Trained and professional nurses are not considered for the degrees, as they take only 100 per session.

'Due to the shortage of nurses, the experienced nurses are asked to give priority to newcomers.

'When they get their bachelor's degrees, they are promoted and their salaries are increased, while the experienced ones are overlooked.

'This makes them feel that juniors are being promoted, while they are still standing in the queue.'

Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa announced on Sunday that the new package was expected to benefit up to 3,000 nurses.

Meanwhile, BNS is still incensed that the Social Development Ministry has frozen its bank account.

It appointed Dr Fakhria Diari as interim director of the society last month, to oversee what it said were long-overdue elections for a new board.

Al Saffar told our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News that the ministry broke the law by freezing the society's account and the BNS has demanded a full investigation.

'No one has the right to freeze anyone's accounts until there is a court order,' she said.

'The society has already elected a new board after its previous board was dissolved and an interim director appointed.'

Al Saffar said the new executive board was elected on August 24 in the presence of Social Development Ministry representatives.

'Our elections were held on August 24 and observed by the ministry human resources and finance assistant under-secretary Maha Mandeel,' she said.

'Also present were the representatives from Human Rights Society, General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions and the Transparency Society.'

The new executive board consists of seven members, who were elected from a total of nine participants.

They include vice-president Jaffar Mohammed, general secretary Ebrahim Al Demistani, treasurer Naemat Mubarak, board members Shereen Mohammed and Shafiqa Hassan.

But a Social Development Ministry spokeswoman told the GDN on Tuesday that the elections would be held again, in Dr Fakhria's presence.

'We haven't received any election update from Dr Fakhria.

'So we don't accept the new members and the elected committee and they have to go through the process again in the presence of Dr Fakhria.'

Dr Diari was not available to comment as she is out of Bahrain. - TradeArabia News Service