Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) employed by Manx Care are being balloted on whether they would consider strike action.

It comes after members of the trade union rejected the latest pay offer issued by island’s arms-length healthcare provider back in November.

Manx Care had tabled a 4% pay increase backdated to April 1, 2024 for staff employed at the time an agreement is reached.

However, the offer – the third made for this pay period – was rejected, and RCN raised concerns that it did not include back pay for those who had since left the organisation.

As a result, the RCN North West regional board, Trade Union Committee, and Council have agreed to hold an indicative ballot to gauge support for industrial action.

The ballot will open at midday on Wednesday, February 26, and close at midday on Wednesday, March 12.

If members vote in favour, the regional board could proceed to a formal statutory ballot, as authorisation has already been granted by the RCN Council.

The RCN is the Isle of Man’s largest nursing trade union.

The union’s pay wrangle with Manx Care comes after senior doctors on the Isle of Man accepted an 11th hour pay-offer last month which resulted in planned strike action being postponed.

Senior doctors will receive an 8% pay rise backdated to April 1, 2023, for the previous year.

For 2024/25, they will also receive an 8% increase, with 6% backdated to April 1, 2024, and the remaining 2% taking effect from February 1, 2025.

Back in 2023, a dispute over pay between RCN and Manx Care resulted in two-days of strike action, before a further offer from Manx Care was subsequently received, offering a consolidated increase of £1,500 to each pay point, with effect from April 1, 2022, in addition to the 6% increase already implemented.

The latest dispute could well see nurses back on the picket line this year.

Senior Regional Officer for the Isle of Man, David Hopton, emphasised that industrial action is a last resort but highlighted ongoing concerns about nursing staff being undervalued and the impact of staffing shortages on patient safety.

He said: ‘The RCN is clear that industrial action is always a last resort, but we are 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 Isle of Man.

‘We would urge every member to have their say as they can help shape the future of nursing pay on the Isle of Man.’

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