The Isle of Man’s nurses have accepted a new pay offer for 2023/24.

It comes after the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) surveyed its members for two weeks at the start of February, just months after their last one was agreed.

After disputes and strikes over the previous pay offer, the nurses have accepted the first 2023/24 offer of 6% from employer Manx Care.

Of those who voted, 75% of members chose to accept pay offer, with 25% voting to reject.

The RCN, which is the Isle of Man’s largest nursing trade union, surveyed its members from midday on Wednesday, January 31 to 12 noon on Wednesday, February 14 on their pay offer which dates back to last April.

Estephanie Dunn, regional director for the RCN in the North West, said: ‘Thank you to those members who took the time to vote, it’s really important that we have a strong voice so that our response is clear to the employer.

‘I am pleased that we have reached a resolution quickly to this offer, but we now await the results of the other union surveys to see if the majority has accepted. We now must see our members receive this pay rise as soon as possible.

‘The RCN is still concerned that the offer does not necessarily include back-pay for those who have already left Manx Care in the months since the offer should have been implemented.’

Ms Dunn continued: ‘For those who have left Manx Care’s employment between April 2023 and now, we encourage them to submit an appeal to Manx Care so that they can be considered for back-pay for the time they worked there.

‘They have worked the hours and deserve to be paid at the full rate they should have been paid anyway, plus any pension contributions, had this offer been received and accepted before the pay year commenced.’

Following a challenge on the decision by the island’s joint trade unions, Manx Care set up an appeals process where individual cases were considered, but staff must have ‘maintained a link with the trust’ - such as bank work - to be eligible.

A pay offer will be implemented once all the unions have reported back their results and if the majority have also accepted.

Last year RCN’s dispute with Manx Care led to two days of strike action by nurses in the island, and were set to take two back-to-back days of action later in 2023 (October) but it was paused.

They also marched from Noble’s Hospital to Villiers Square in protest for better pay and safer staffing levels.

Previously we spoke to Clair Green, ward sister at Noble’s Hospital and RCN Isle of Man secretary, who described the pay nurses get when starting out as ‘disgraceful’.