Manx Care says it is pleased to offer a pay rise of 4% to nurses.

Its response follows the Isle of Man’s largest nursing trade union announcing a ballot to consider industrial action in a campaign for a higher award.

The Royal College of Nursing’s council is organising a consultative ballot between March 1 and March 17.

It will ask them whether a final pay offer of 4% for 2021-22 from Manx Care is acceptable, or not.

Manx Care said: ’We believe [this pay offer] highlights our commitment to our colleagues, and is significantly more than the initial 1% that was budgeted for in the current financial year.

’We have worked extensively with the unions across the last nine months to try to agree an offer which recognises the contribution that our staff make, and yet is balanced against the need to continue to deliver public services in a very challenging and unprecedented economic environment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

’We believe that the Isle of Man is an attractive place for healthcare workers to live and enjoy a career, and recognise that we do offer a positive pay differential between here and the UK. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff-side colleagues for their contribution to the pay negotiation talks over the last nine months.’

Trade unions in the Isle of Man have been in negotiations since May 2021.

Manx Care presented the unions with several offers ranging from the original 1%.

The staff side proposal was a 15% consolidated pay increase plus the one-off payment.

Should the result from this ballot present a mandate from members to reject the offer, it will not authorise industrial action, but the union says it will be used to ’inform’ the next steps.

Inflation in the Isle of Man currently stands at 6.4%