Nurse Strike Date Set

Nurses on the island will strike later this month

The strike will include all Royal College of Nursing members.

An RCN statement says that its members will walk out on Tuesday July 25, from 8am to 8pm.

RCN members voted overwhelmingly to back advancing industrial action.

The overall turnout was 46% with over 70% of those who voted, said they would be willing to take strike action

There is no threshold to be met for taking strike action on the Isle of Man, just a clear majority.

The RCN’s Regional Director for the North West of England, Estephanie Dunn, said: ‘Taking strike action is a last resort and it’s incredibly sad that it has come to this.  Our members feel ignored and cannot keep an already understaffed health service afloat on good will.

‘The Government need to support Manx Care to build a stronger and more consistent workforce for the future, just plugging the gap by paying extortionate agency bills isn’t sustainable.  Paying nursing staff a fair wage will support a much stronger and consistent nursing workforce, providing the safe and effective care patients on the Isle of Man deserve.

‘Both our members and Manx Care need a resolution to this protracted pay dispute, but there has been enough talk.  The resolution needs to involve paying our nurses on the Isle of Man fairly for the highly skilled care they deliver.’