Nurses in the Isle of Man are being surveyed on a new pay offer made to Royal College Nursing (RCN).

The new offer is a further 2% pay increase on top of the 4% paid in October and a £300 lump sum.

Following a period of negotiation with Manx Care, RCN is now seeking a mandate from its members as to whether a new offer, would be acceptable.

This offer matches the one made to Prospect, another workers’ union, in November.

Estephanie Dunn, Regional Director for the RCN in the North West, said: ‘Once again, we reach a point with Manx Care where we are obliged to consult with our members on the latest pay offer.

‘I’m shocked and saddened that we are still at a point where our members feel so undervalued and underpaid in the Isle of Man that even the 2021/22 pay award agreement is outstanding.

‘It’s taken over six-months to once again reach a point where we have an offer for our members following their vote where the feeling was so strong that they told us they would be willing to take industrial action over their pay.

‘In that time, staffing levels haven’t improved, agency bills are still phenomenally high, and recruitment and retention hasn’t improved.

‘Staff are still overworked and underpaid. The important thing is that Manx Care are speaking with us, but it will be our membership who decide on whether the offer is good enough.’

Following a huge response to a vote last July (2022) in which over 75% of the RCN’s membership employed by Manx Care took part, 83.1% of respondents voted that the 4% pay award for 2021/22 and 4 per cent pay offer for 2022/23, was unacceptable.

Over 55% of participating members said they would be willing to take industrial action.

The survey runs from noon on Wednesday, March 8, until midnight on Wednesday, March 22.

All RCN members employed by Manx Care are eligible to vote and will receive an email.

The RCN will not be making a recommendation to members as the results will provide a mandate for how the membership want negotiations regarding their pay to continue.