Earlier this month the Jersey Nursing Association claimed that a ‘poisonous atmosphere’ had developed in the Health Department after social workers received a ‘significant pay uplift’ last year, whereas nurses and midwives did not.
In response, States chief executive Charlie Parker has written to all Health Department staff outlining proposals for an ‘external third-party’ review of the situation.
Mr Parker’s letter says that the disparity was caused because the unions rejected the States’ workforce modernisation proposals, which aim to standardise pay levels in the public sector and include proposals to increase nurse and midwife wages by seven per cent by 2020.
It adds: ‘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.’
The letter says that the findings of the review will be fed into the 2018/19 pay review for nurses and midwives.
Staff in the department have been invited to meetings with senior management, including one due to take place today to discuss the proposed reviews.
