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The States are urging the RCN to encourage its members to reconsider the latest pay offer they have been given.
This comes as the union has announced it is walking away from pay negotiations for good, to ballot its members on the idea of industrial action.
This announcement has just been made by the largest nursing union on the island, but the States said they were the only of the four unions that didn't appear to be engaging in the process in good faith.
"The Policy & Resources Committee wishes to express its disappointment and frustration that the Royal College of Nursing is continuing with its move towards industrial action, despite a conciliation process being underway. The Policy & Resources Committee, and the three other unions involved, are engaging in the process in good faith, with the genuine hope of reaching a fair resolution. However the continued threat of industrial action undermines this process and causes uncertainty for the community," a spokesperson said.
"As part of the conciliation process, this week officers representing the Policy & Resources Committee together with political representation attended a meeting under the chairmanship of the Industrial Disputes Officer to discuss a further, improved offer. This is now the third offer made by the Committee in an attempt to fairly resolve the dispute. The Committee will share details of this offer directly with affected staff tomorrow. In contrast, the RCN have shown no flexibility whatsoever."
Nurses would technically have no legal protection if they striked, because Guernsey law is different to the UK's.
Following an enquiry from Express which revealed there was no legal protection for nurses if they did decide to strike, P&R also questioned whether the RCN had properly informed its members about how their industrial action process had no basis in local law.
The Committee said this meant there would be no benefit to striking, because the Industrial Disputes Officer could refer the matter to a tribunal, which would pass a binding decision.
"The RCN appears not to have informed its members that their process for invoking industrial action does not have any basis and is not relevant in Guernsey law," The spokesperson added. "This dispute has been formally lodged with the Industrial Disputes Officer. If the RCN do not intend to engage with the conciliation process seriously, the IDO can refer the matter to a third party either through arbitration or an industrial disputes tribunal for a binding resolution. As a result there is no benefit in carrying out industrial action in respect of which neither the union or its members have any legal protection. It would only serve to cause disruption for patients and colleagues.
"It should also be noted that the Policy & Resources Committee is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of terms and conditions for all public sector pay groups, not only nurses. The Committee is under direction to present that review to the States Assembly for consideration in the first quarter of 2020.
"We hope very much that the RCN will encourage its members to give the latest offer fair consideration, and help to finally resolve this dispute."
Finally, the Committee rejected the claim the RCN had made that it simply did not attend the final attempt at negotiations.
Pictured top: the PEH.
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