Isle of Man nurses to get 2.5% pay rise
Posted 01 August 2017 - 13:20
Nurses on the Isle of Man are set to receive a 2.5% pay rise following an arbitrated agreement with unions.
Picture: Alamy
The salary rise, which is still to be confirmed by ministers on the island, is for the 2016-17 financial year and would be backdated. Negotiations are continuing on the pay round for the current year, 2017-18.
The decision went to arbitration after the island's Department of Health and Social Care rejected union calls for a 5% rise in a move described as ‘bitterly disappointing’ by the RCN.
Real-term cut
RCN North West, which represents nurses on the island, and other unions asked for the pay rise in recognition of the real-term pay cuts experienced by the profession due to wage restraint.
Commenting on the arbitrated deal, RCN senior regional officer Mary-Anne Parkinson said: ‘We value our relationship with other staff-side organisations and the Department of Health and Social Care, and we are pleased that we have reached an agreement that recognises the hard work of our members while acknowledging the economic pressures on the island.
'The RCN is particularly pleased that we have secured a significant pay rise for our members at a time when nursing pay in other areas of England has fallen 14% behind the cost of living since 2010 because of the government’s 1% pay cap on public sector pay.’
Manx decision
Nurses in England, Wales and Scotland received a 1% pay rise for 2017-18. Northern Ireland is yet to make a decision on its nurses' pay.
The Manx government makes its own decision on pay for the some 1,000 nurses on the Isle of Man.
The arbitrated agreement is still to be approved by the island’s council of ministers, but RCN North West said it would be ‘highly unusual’ for them to refuse to sign off an arbitrated agreement.
Further information
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