Manx Care 'committed' to resolving nurses pay row

A healthcare provider has said it "remains committed" to resolving a dispute with a nursing union over pay on the Isle of Man.

This week the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) confirmed it would ballot members over their willingness to take strike action.

Members of the union rejected a revised pay offer made by Manx Care in November of a 4% uplift backdated to April 2024.

The healthcare body said it was aware of the position and was committed to working with the RCN to resolve the row.

The union said concerns had been raised that the latest offer did not include backpay for staff who would have been eligible for the uplift if it had been implemented sooner, but had since left Manx Care.

It is the second time the RCN has balloted its members over their willingness to strike in recent years and follows two rounds of strike action in 2023.

The latest row over pay for nurses comes in the wake of a now resolved dispute about a rise for doctors working for Manx Care.

In that case doctors accepted an award that was split into two, with a 6% rise backdated to April 2024 and another 2% applied from 1 February.

A commitment was also made to match base salaries for doctors on the island to the same level as their counterparts working for the NHS in England.

The disputes over pay come as Manx Care faces an overspend of more than £16m in the current financial year.

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