91Èȱ¬

Nurses in Jersey have committed to striking in January if they are not happy with the outcome of pay discussions later this month.

Pat Devine, chairman of the Nursing Association, said nurses were fed up with waiting for a pay deal.

Only States nurses are involved in the dispute with the States Employment Board.

The board led by Senator Ian Gorst has agreed a 1% pay rise for all public sector workers.

It has also agreed to solve the shortfall in nurses' pay by 2018.

The decision to strike, agreed by a ballot of union members, follows a delay in a meeting of the board.

Mr Devine said: "We were hoping the States Employment Board would meet in October, but they have delayed their decision until 25 November.

"We feel that is a deliberate delay and they are putting it off as a delaying tactic.

"We will not take action over Christmas or over the new year period. We have no intention of being unreasonable, we realise it will impact on patient services."

He said nurses wanted "a sensible pay offer and a sensible commitment to see nurses pay on a level with their allied health professions within a reasonable time scale".