[Isle of Man] Nurses will vote on what a 'fair' pay rise would be

Nurses in the Isle of Man, locked in a pay dispute, have been asked by union bosses to give their opinion on what a "fair" rise would be, BBC News reports.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will conduct a two-week survey of its members following the rejection of two pay offers put forward by Manx Care.

The result of a March ballot reportedly showed that 70 per cent of respondents indicated their willingness to take part in strike action over the ongoing dispute.

Manx Care described the survey as a "helpful step" that would "enable constructive dialogue".

RCN members previously rejected June and October offers for pay awards of 3.5 per cent and 4 per cent for the 2024-25 year, respectively.

Despite its rejection, Manx Care reportedly applied the 4 per cent offer to nurses still employed by the Isle of Man health service as talks over future rises continued.

The union said its members were now being asked to vote on a range of potential percentage increases on top of that award as to what was considered "a fair and appropriate pay offer".

In addition, nurses were asked if they would be willing to reject any pay offer that was not backdated to those who left employment with Manx Care during the 2024-25 financial year, it said.

According to the RCN, concerns had been raised by its members over the exclusion of those nurses from the 4 per cent backdated pay rise.

A prior pay dispute with Manx Care saw nurses stage two walkouts before an agreement was reached in 2023.

Simon Browes - regional director for RCN North West - said the union was "keen to find a way forward that is beneficial for all concerned".

However, Mr Browes said it was "clear that nursing staff have been historically undervalued".

"They not only deserve pay which reflects the skill and responsibilities of their roles, but to ensure that patients are no longer being put at risk due to the staffing crisis on the island," he added.

Manx Care reportedly stated that it remained in "close dialogue" with the union and aimed to continue the discussions in a "collaborative manner".

"We view this initiative by the RCN as a helpful step that will enable constructive dialogue between our organisations," it added.

The survey of RCN members will close on May 7.

Source: BBC News

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

Nurses in the Isle of Man, locked in a pay dispute, have been asked by union bosses to give their opinion on what a "fair" rise would be, BBC News reports.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will conduct a two-week survey of its members following the rejection of two pay offers put forward by Manx Care.

The result of a March ballot reportedly showed that 70 per cent of respondents indicated their willingness to take part in strike action over the ongoing dispute.

Manx Care described the survey as a "helpful step" that would "enable constructive dialogue".

RCN members previously rejected June and October offers for pay awards of 3.5 per cent and 4 per cent for the 2024-25 year, respectively.

Despite its rejection, Manx Care reportedly applied the 4 per cent offer to nurses still employed by the Isle of Man health service as talks over future rises continued.

The union said its members were now being asked to vote on a range of potential percentage increases on top of that award as to what was considered "a fair and appropriate pay offer".

In addition, nurses were asked if they would be willing to reject any pay offer that was not backdated to those who left employment with Manx Care during the 2024-25 financial year, it said.

According to the RCN, concerns had been raised by its members over the exclusion of those nurses from the 4 per cent backdated pay rise.

A prior pay dispute with Manx Care saw nurses stage two walkouts before an agreement was reached in 2023.

Simon Browes - regional director for RCN North West - said the union was "keen to find a way forward that is beneficial for all concerned".

However, Mr Browes said it was "clear that nursing staff have been historically undervalued".

"They not only deserve pay which reflects the skill and responsibilities of their roles, but to ensure that patients are no longer being put at risk due to the staffing crisis on the island," he added.

Manx Care reportedly stated that it remained in "close dialogue" with the union and aimed to continue the discussions in a "collaborative manner".

"We view this initiative by the RCN as a helpful step that will enable constructive dialogue between our organisations," it added.

The survey of RCN members will close on May 7.

Source: BBC News

(Links and quotes via original reporting)