Island teachers confirm strike action

Teachers on the Isle of Man will take six days of strike action in an escalation of a dispute over pay, workload and working practices.

Members of the NASUWT – The Teachers' Union – will strike on various days over the next four months.

The action has been called after members overwhelmingly rejected a revised pay offer from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.

Strike action is planned for:

• 30 November
• 1 December
• 11 and 12 January 
• 15 and 16 February

The union's general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: "Responsibility for the escalation of our industrial action to strike action and any disruption caused as a result lies entirely with the DESC.

“The revised pay offer tabled by the DESC represents yet another real-terms pay cut for teachers who have already seen the value of their pay fall by more than 30 per cent in real terms since 2010.

"Teachers are unable to make ends meet due to soaring cost of living and years of pay erosion is adversely affecting the recruitment and retention of teachers.

"The last thing our members want to do is to take strike action but have been left with no other choice.

"The DESC must use the time available to engage with us to find a negotiated solution and we urge ministers to do so."

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has told Manx Radio it has made an offer to all teacher unions for the current academic year and is waiting for responses. 

It’s described it as a ‘comprehensive package’ which would see wages of newly qualified teachers increase by 11.9 per cent and school leaders by eight per cent from September. 

The DESC says it has not been informed by the NASUWT – whose members have announced strike action – that it has rejected this offer.

It says the education of young people remains the ‘top priority’ and the DESC has an open-door policy for all teacher unions.