Pay offer averts industrial action on Isle of Man

Strike action by doctors on the Isle of Man has been postponed after the BMA secured a ‘long overdue’ offer on pay.

The threat of unprecedented industrial action by the island’s medical staff has been averted following a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations between the association and the island’s healthcare provider Manx Care.

The offer, if endorsed by members, would see an 8 per cent pay uplift applied to pay for consultants, associate specialists and specialty doctors for the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/52.

The proposed terms would also see pay scales for the island’s resident and locally employed doctors brought in line with those applied to colleagues in England.

With the BMA backing the terms of the pay offer, Isle of Man Medical Society chair Prakash Thiagarajan said he and his colleagues were entitled to the same respect as their colleagues on the mainland.

He said: ‘I’m relieved we managed to successfully negotiate this long overdue pay offer without the need for strike action. Doctors on the Isle of Man deserve to be treated with the same respect as their mainland counterparts and have their expertise both recognised and paid fairly for the work that they do.

‘This offer, if accepted by our members means we can continue to do what we do best – providing our patients with high quality care. I’d like to thank the Manx Industrial Relations Service, the Chief Minister, and the Minister for Health and Social Care for their valuable support in getting us this far.’

Doctors on the island had been poised to join picket lines as part of a long-running dispute over pay erosion, which has seen staff endure real-terms pay cuts of up to 19 per cent since 2008.

An formal ballot in December last year saw 95 per cent of doctors back the option of strike action if a suitable resolution on pay restoration could not be reached.

Welcoming the offer on pay, BMA council deputy chair Emma Runswick said that the breakthrough had come about because of coordinated action among doctors of all grades describing it as ‘a testament to the strength of solidarity and our trade union'.

She said: ‘This is a victory for systemic organising amongst colleagues. Doctors on the Isle of Man have recruited their colleagues, met in large numbers, voted yes together, and resolved to win. This has been coordinated across residents, SAS doctors and consultants, showing the strength of solidarity between grades.

‘The appearance of an offer at this late stage is because ManxCare knows that the industrial action would have been solid, and a testament to the strength of solidarity and our trade union. Other doctors across the UK can learn from the work of our Man colleagues and organise to win.’

For more information on the terms of the offer and for details on how to vote in the upcoming ballot, visit the BMA website.