Jersey pay rally

Join us on Saturday 23 February to have your say about pay.

Following an RCN pay ballot in Jersey, you gave us a very clear message that you were very unhappy with the pay offer received. On Saturday 23 February we will be marching to get your message heard and we need as many people as possible to join us.


March details

Date: Saturday 23 February

Meeting point: Howard Davis Park from 1.15pm

March start: 2pm

March finish: 3.30pm

Who can come: You, your colleagues, friends and family. The event is family friendly and is wheelchair and pushchair accessible. We'll be handing out RCN banners and other materials on the day.

Route:
Stewards will direct you along the route, please follow their instruction.

1.15pm Meet in Howard Davis Park to be ready to assemble into rows of no more than five abreast.
2pm March to begin from the gates of Howard Davis Park. Turn left out the park and proceed down Colombeire.
2.10pm Reach Snow Hill and veer right onto the pedestrian precinct at the top of Queen Street.
2.15pm Continue down the precinct and cross over the junction at Halkett Place. At the Pierson take a left turn into the Royal Square.
2.45pm March to continue from the Royal Square exit the square at Pierson, turn left and continue down King Street until the junction of New Street. Turn left onto New Street then right after approximately 80 yards onto Broad Street. Continue down Broad Street to Charing Cross then veer right into York Street and continue to walk down past St Helier Parish Hall.  Veer Right at the junction of York Street and Union Street and march on to the junction of Gloucester Street. March past A&E department, then turn right at the entrance to the general hospital and assemble on the grass area of Parade Gardens opposite.
3.15pm Assemble in the park for brief speeches.
3.30pm March ends.

What are we asking for?

Fair and equal pay for nurses, midwives and HCAs
For too long our pay has not matched that of our colleagues on the mainland or our comparators on Jersey. We are a small island – we depend on nurses coming from the UK, so we need to be competitive to attract the very best candidates. We asked for a "meaningful" rise in 2012 - this simply hasn't materialised.

Severe recruitment and retention difficulties to be addressed
We need excellent nurses and we need them to stay on Jersey for the long term. A recent RCN survey has shown that a third of nurses are thinking of leaving due to poor pay. We can’t let that happen. We want to deliver safe, effective, high quality care, but to do this needs adequate staffing levels and appropriate skills mix. We have to be competitive now and in the future.

Our workforce to be readied for the future
The Health and Social Services White Paper sets out a strong vision. We need more nurses to deliver the aspiration of new services for residents in Jersey, without better pay there simply won’t be the workforce to achieve this. We need to modernise the pay system so it is future proof and we don’t have to battle for fair and equal pay every few years. 

What happens next

Following the rally we will be holding a branch meeting to discuss next steps.

We are currently awaiting the results of the Jersey Nursing Association’s ballot on the offer which you have already rejected. You have given us a clear message of rejection, that you are very unhappy with the offer and that you wish to consider industrial action. We are working with our legal advisers on this complex issue, and you may wish to read RCN and NMC guidance for this.

Not only do we need to consider the RCN and NMC positions, we need to ensure we work within the Jersey legal system to keep you protected should industrial action go ahead.We are sending regular emails to keep members updated about negotiations. If you have not registered your email address with us, visit My RCN to update your details.

Help and information

If you have any queries, please contact: