Long-running pay row ends as nurses accept new Manx Care offer

A total of 71% of RCN members who voted accepted the offer

Nurses have accepted a revised pay deal from Manx Care, ending a two-year dispute over pay and conditions.

In a ballot, 71% of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members who voted backed the new offer of a £1,500 consolidated payment and a 6% pay hike for 2022-23.

RCN regional director Estephanie Dunn said while she was pleased the dispute was over, she was "saddened" members had "had to resort to strike action".

Manx Care said it had appreciated the "open dialogue" that had taken place.

Of the union's 550 members employed by Manx Care, about 50% of those eligible to vote took part in the latest ballot in the dispute, which began in May 2021.

Several offers were previously rejected by the union, which had originally called for a 15% pay increase.

The ongoing row saw the island's first ever walk-out by RCN members in July, followed by a further day of industrial action in September.

'Unnecessary disruption'

The RCN ballot on the newest offer, which included the consolidated lump-sum backdated to 1 April last year, closed on Monday.

Ms Dunn said the union was "pleased" the long-standing dispute had "finally reached a conclusion".

But she said, given the offer that had now been put forward, strike action had felt like an "unnecessary disruption" to an "already very strained service".

Ms Dunn said she stood by members' decision to strike as there was "no doubt" the action had "prompted Manx Care to open talks".

"Our members deserve to be valued for the highly complex skills they possess and for the work they do to uphold the health service," she said.

In a statement Manx Care said they were also "pleased" the negotiations had been successful.

"We acknowledge that this has been an unsettled time for many of our colleagues, and appreciate the open dialogue that has taken place with staff-side representatives throughout," it added.

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