Jersey nurses discuss 'work to rule' over hushed pay deals

Friday 20 April 2018

Hundreds of Jersey nurses vented their anger at the first union meeting on what are being described as "secret" and "unfair" pay deals, which have led them to back an unofficial ‘work to rule’ vote, unless the situation improves.

Very strong statements including “fed up of the lies and deceit” and “never felt so devalued and disrespected by management” were voiced by the nurses at the Town Hall this week, after a meeting over allegedly "secret" pay awards made to other health professionals.

At least 250 nurses expressed their disappointment over the treatment they said they had received by senior health management, who it's claimed asked their colleagues employed on civil servant grades to keep quiet about pay rises given last autumn, ahead of a major new pay deal announced earlier this year known as Workforce Modernisation (WFM). That deal would have seen a 7%+ pay increase by 2020, which is lower than the likely rise in inflation over the same period. 

The move has increased the pay gap between nurses and civil servants including physiotherapists, social workers and occupational therapists from £3,000 to around £8,000 a year – despite promises by the States over the past decade to equalise the pay grades within the health department.

The nurses argue that not only has this caused what's described as a “terrible atmosphere” within the Health service and broken down professional relationships, but it’s also made many - some of whom have worked in the department for over 30 years - want to give up the job they once loved.

An overwhelming show of hands was given when nurses were asked if they had no confidence in the department’s management, prompting feedback comments, including: “I have lost respect and trust in senior management and the organisation”, “How is it possible to negotiate with those who are prepared to do back room deals?” and, “Too many words and promises broken, let’s see some action.”

After nurses broke their silence on the current dismay in the Health Department – as reported by Express last month – managers have vowed to address the concerns raised.

Pictured: Standing room only at the nurses meeting where staff took a 'no confidence' vote on senior health management, and agreed to 'work to rule'. 

A letter was sent to all Health and Social Services staff by the department’s Chief Executive, Julie Garbutt, saying senior officers are now working on a plan which “will address how the job evaluation and pay comparability issues between Nurses and Midwives and Allied Health professionals including Social Workers and Probation staff may be resolved.”

This was followed by a letter from the States of Jersey Chief Executive, Charlie Parker, who suggested officers have tried to address the pay difference, saying: “Over recent years, pay settlements for Nurses and Midwives have been higher than for other public sector groups, specifically in order to close the pay gap, although a gap still remained. The Workforce Modernisation proposals provided for a further 7%+ pay increase to 2020 and the use of the full job evaluation and appeals/re-evaluation procedure, which would have resulted in equal pay for work of equal value between Nurses and Midwives and other pay groups, including Civil Servants. 

“At the same time, and ahead of the Workforce Modernisation proposals, a number of healthcare groups – most notably Children’s Social Workers, following the Jersey Independent Care Inquiry report – were identified as a critical recruitment and retention risk. Under the existing ‘Hay’ job evaluation process, these groups were evaluated and their pay was uplifted as a result.”

He then goes on to say that following discussions with unions, he is now proposing a “thorough” review and evaluation of all nursing jobs - the results of which will be fed into the 2018/2019 nurses and midwives pay review.

Mr Parker also invited nurses to meet senior health staff ahead of the union meeting at the Town Hall that evening, in a last ditch attempt to smooth the dispute.

Pictured: States Chief Executive, Charlie Parker, has proposed a 'thorough' review into nurses pay. 

But according to the President of the Jersey Nursing Association, Terry Hanby, this approach has only made matters worse.

“The response from management has only inflamed passions further, particularly the hastily convened talks in the Halliwell Theatre with representatives of employee relations. Both of these meetings have included angry responses from attendees, tired of hearing the same rhetoric, not convinced by the concessions being offered, expressing distrust of a management structure who are perceived to have continued to lie and deceive.

“Management have made a huge error and instead of owning their mistake they obfuscate and mislead. Unions have evidence HAY evaluations were not to be used during WFM process yet this is the evaluation method they have advised they used last November to increase salaries of allied professionals.

“We are told affected staff were not asked to keep it secret rather they were told be discreet. At the meetings with employee relations, staff that benefited described never having experienced a situation where staff are taken off site to be told of their pay increase and also told to keep it quiet.  One of whom chose to express the guilt that they had felt over the past six months following their experience,” he said.

Nurses don’t have any confidence the issue will be resolved by the end of May, as stated by Mr Parker. They took an unofficial vote to ‘work to rule’ if they don’t see any improvements over the next six weeks, which they say will impact the island’s health service as it heavily relies on the goodwill of nurses.