Isle of Man nurses to be balloted over 4% pay offer

Nurses working for Manx Care have been offered a 4% rise for 2021-22

Nurses on the Isle of Man are to be balloted over a proposed 4% pay rise offered by Manx Care, the Royal College of Nursing has confirmed.

Negotiations over the pay award have been ongoing since May last year.

The union has called for a 15% rise and a one-off payment for its 700-strong workforce.

Manx Care said the offer "highlights our commitment to our colleagues" and was "significantly more" than the 1% rise budgeted for in 2021-22.

In a Tynwald motion next month, Health Minister Lawrie Hooper will ask politicians to approve a £10m overspend, part of which is required to cover a forthcoming pay award for health care staff, which was "anticipated to be above the budgeted amount".

In a statement, the union said the Royal College of Nursing council "has agreed that now is the time to conduct a formal consultative ballot with members overseen by our independent scrutineer Civica".

It also urged member who are "unhappy with the offer" to "express their views in writing to their local MHK" while the ballot is taking place.

The union was committed to ensuring nurses on the island "receive the pay, terms and conditions they deserve", it added.

A spokeswoman for Manx Care said the health care provider had "worked extensively with the unions across the last nine months to try to agree an offer which recognises the contribution that our staff make".

The offer had been "balanced against the need to continue to deliver public services in a very challenging and unprecedented economic environment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic", she added.

The ballot will run between 1 and 17 March.