Nurses balloted over willingness to stage walkout

Nurses are to be balloted over whether they would be willing to consider taking strike action in a dispute over pay with Manx Care.

In November, members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) rejected the Isle of Man healthcare provider's latest offer of a 4% uplift backdated to April 2024.

It marks the second time in recent years the RCN has balloted its members over the issue and follows two rounds of strike action by nurses in 2023.

Manx Care has been contacted for a response.

The RCN said there had been concerns that the latest offer did not include backpay for those who had left Manx Care since April last year who would have been eligible had it been implemented earlier.

The union's senior regional officer for the Isle of Man, David Hopton, said the RCN was "clear" that industrial action was "always a last resort".

However, he said it was also "clear that the skill, professionalism and safety-critical work of nursing staff has historically been undervalued, and that patients are being put at risk due to the staffing crisis" on the island.

The union has now agreed to hold an "indicative ballot", which will run from midday on Wednesday until 12 March.

The union said if members were to indicate a willingness to take strike action, a "statutory ballot" on industrial action would then follow.

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