Unions had accepted an offer from the island’s government in January but continued to negotiate for more. Today, a fresh deal has been formally agreed.
In addition, the government has agreed to work with the royal colleges of nursing and midwifery and the Jersey Nursing Association to close the pay gap between nurses and midwives with other allied health professionals.
The new deal also includes a clause that means if any other pay group receives a higher package offer through negotiation in the three-year period this will also apply to nurses and midwives.
The deal gives professionals a 3.1% increase backed to 1 April 2018 and a 3.01% rise from 1 April 2020.
From 1 April 2020, nurses and midwives will also get a pay bump in line with the Retail Price Index as it will be in September of that year plus an additional 1.3%.
Alice Sorby, employment relations advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, said a “good deal” had been achieved for its members.
“For too long the pay of midwives and their colleagues had been falling behind the real cost of living, meaning they were in effect suffering significant pay cuts,” she added.
“This deal shows that the Jersey Government [value] their health service staff and the incredible work that they do,” she said. “It shows what can be achieved by unions for their members by working with employer’s and government to negotiate a deal.”
A spokeswoman from Jersey Government’s State Employment Board said it was “pleased” that the improved pay offer had been accepted.
“We highly value the dedication and hard work of our nurses in caring for islanders, so we are very pleased that we were able to make an offer to resolve, once and for all, the longstanding issues that have unfairly affected nurses’ pay,” she added.
Jersey is part of the UK and is the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France.
https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/pay/new-three-year-pay-deal-agreed-for-jersey-nurses/7028463.article