The main points of the proposed offer for staff employed by Erskine are as follows:

Proposed Changes for all staff

• A consolidated 3.19% increase in basic pay for all pay spine points.
• A non-consolidated payment for every member of staff in employment as of the 1st of October, paid out in a single payment in the October 2023 payroll. The payment will be £1,114 for every shift worker, and £1,058 for every non-shift worker pro-rated, based on a 37.5 hour working week. The employer will make employer pension contributions in respect of this payment.
• The payment of Scottish Social Services Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health and Care Professionals Council annual renewal fees from 1 October 2023.

Erskine has outlined that the lowest paid workers will receive a total uplift of 8.16%, for those at the top of the pay scale the employer has indicated the total uplift will be 5%.

You can read the full offer here.

The RCN recognises the financial pressures facing Erskine’s sustainable service provision and the constructive consideration of the joint TU pay claim discussions on the 21 September 2023.

The RCN believes that all nurses and nursing support workers, wherever they work, deserve to receive fair pay, terms and conditions.

The RCN is, therefore, not making a recommendation to members whether you should vote to accept or reject this offer.

It is for RCN members employed by Erskine to have the final say on this offer. 

The RCN has been campaigning for Fair Pay for Nursing and believe it is our members who should decide on any pay offer. The 2023-2024 offer from Erskine sits against the backdrop of a regrettable redundancy process involving some of our members.

While we are providing those members with RCN support, reaching the pay offer stage is a separate process. The RCN needs to know if you accept or reject this offer. The local negotiation team (including Partnership TU colleagues) believe the current offer is the best available through the established means of partnership negotiation at this time.

The consultative ballot will be open from 12 noon on Friday 6 October 2023 to 12 noon on Tuesday 17 October. 

You can find the details of the pay offer and more information about what this means for your pay in Erskine’s pay offer letter and on the consultation page where you can cast your vote. Please read these documents carefully to support your decision making.

When you have cast your vote and had your say on this pay offer, the result will be used to inform the formal response to the pay offer that will be communicated to Erskine. If RCN members vote to accept the offer, we will notify Erskine that RCN members accept the pay offer.

If RCN members vote to reject the pay offer, we will notify Erskine that RCN members have rejected the pay offer and seek further negotiations. However, it is the opinion of local negotiators that Erskine Management team are unlikely to enter into further negotiation given the confines of its reported medium to long-term financial position. RCN Erskine members would be engaged to consider any further means of resolution. 

This pay offer is for all staff directly employed by Erskine. The pay offer includes:

• A 3.19% increase in basic pay for all staff.

• A non-consolidated payment for every member of staff in employment as of 1 October 2023.

• Payment of Scottish Social Services Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health and Care Professionals Council annual renewal fees from 1 October 2023.

It is important that you read the offer document carefully and understand what the offer means for you. 

All RCN members employed by Erskine can participate in this consultative ballot regardless of your pay band.

Agency workers not employed directly by Erskine are not eligible to participate in this consultative ballot.

Part-time workers are included in the pay offer and if the offer is accepted, they will receive the same percentage increases, pro-rated to their current wages.

We are not asking you to vote on industrial action in respect of this pay offer. This is a consultative ballot to determine whether members accept or reject the pay offer from Erskine. It is not a ballot on Industrial Action.

If members vote to reject the pay offer, the RCN will engage with Erskine and members to consider any further means of resolution but the local negotiators do not believe that the Erskine management team are unlikely to enter into further negotiations given its reported medium to long term financial position.

If we are unsuccessful in persuading Erskine to improve their offer further, or if members reject all further offers, then we would seek member views on how they would like to proceed.

The effect on benefits depends on your individual circumstances and the type of benefit you are in receipt of. Members who are on means-tested benefits, such as universal credit, should consider the implications of Erskine’s pay offer before voting to reject or accept it in the RCN’s consultative ballot.

To check your benefit situation, call the Citizens Advice Helpline 0800 028 1456 (Scotland) Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Calls are free. 

The pay offer is a gross (total) figure, and you need to take deductions into account when considering the pay offer.

Pay is subject to tax, national insurance contributions and, if you are a member of a pension scheme, pension contributions. You should check your current income tax, national insurance rates and pension contributions on your pay slip to assess how the pay offer will affect your take-home pay.

Rises in pensionable pay are also subject to increases in pension deductions. Find out more about pension contributions here.

For most members in any pension schemes, receiving a higher wage may to lead to higher pension contributions, so you will need to consider the impact of that depending on your personal circumstances.

The RCN cannot give members individual advice on the impact of this pay offer on their pension. Members who wish to know more about their pension should consult their pension provider in the first instance and then take financial advice if necessary.

The consultative ballot will be open from 12:00 noon on Friday, 6 October, to 12 noon on Tuesday, 17 October 2023. You can cast your vote on the RCN website. Only RCN members employed by Erskine are eligible to take part in the consultative ballot on this pay offer. If you’ve told us that you are employed by Erskine you should have received an email with a link to the voting page where you can read more about the pay offer as well.

The consultative ballot will close at 12 noon on Tuesday, 17 October. You will not be able to vote after this time.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email, and you will be asked for it if you call. 

If you have issues accessing the voting website, please log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email, and you will be asked for it if you call. You can find out more about RCN membership and other ways to get in touch on our membership FAQs.

You do not need an email to vote. You can cast your vote here, on the RCN website.

Your employer will not know if or how you chose to vote on this offer. Your vote is confidential, and the consultative ballot is conducted by the RCN. The RCN will inform Erskine of the percentage of members voting for and against the employer's offer and the outcome of this vote.

Yes, provided you are an RCN member and employed on an Erskine contract, you are eligible to take part in the consultative ballot on this pay offer. For your vote to be counted, your MyRCN record must be updated to include that you work at Erskine.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. You must include your membership number in your email, and you will be asked for it if you call. You can find out more about RCN membership and other ways to get in touch on our membership FAQs.

RCN student members who are directly employed by Erskine, are eligible to take part in this consultative ballot. Only staff directly employed on an Erskine contract are eligible to take part in the consultative ballot.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email, and you will be asked for it if you call.

All staff currently employed by Erskine in Scotland and are eligible to participate in the consultative ballot. If you are no longer employed by Erskine, then you will not be included in the ballot, as you will not be affected by the employer’s offer.

If you have received an email encouraging you to vote in this consultative ballot, it might be that your details in the RCN membership database are out of date. To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email, and you will be asked for it if you call.