Nurses in the Isle of Man have rejected their latest pay offer.

The offer was made to the Royal College Nursing (RCN) and consisted of a further 2% pay increase, on top of the 4% paid in October, and a £300 lump sum.

The survey saw 68% of eligible RCN members vote, with 85% rejecting the offer.

It had been put to members following months of talks with Manx Care. A previous pay offer had also been rejected following a vote in July 2022. 

Members felt so strongly that they indicated that they would be willing to take industrial action over the matter, said RCN.

Estephanie Dunn, regional director for the RCN in the north west, said: ‘Our members have spoken with an overwhelming number of nurses voting to reject the pay offer because it is simply unacceptable.

‘These results have given the RCN a clear mandate to act on their behalf.

‘After a decade of real-term pay cuts, including Manx Care’s recent pay awards and offers, the terrible hardship nursing staff are enduring alongside challenging working conditions, shows no sign of easing.

‘I remain shocked and saddened that we are still at the point where we have had to negotiate for such a long time to get a decent and fair deal for a profession that is so valuable to the community on the Isle of Man but also, at a time when recruitment and retention of nurses is so urgent.’

The survey closed at midnight on March 22, 2023.

The RCN says it will now review the outcome of the survey and ‘establish the next steps’.