Teaching union to 'escalate action short of strike'

NASUWT responds to 'failure of Manx government to tackle issues'

A teaching union is set to begin 'escalated action short of strike' on the Isle of Man next week.

The NASUWT has announced the move, less than a week into the start of the new academic year.

It's after what it calls the 'failure of the Manx Government to improve pay and tackle excessive and onerous workload and working practices'.

It means from Monday its members will no longer undertake break duties or cover staff absences - planned or otherwise.

They will also not start any new work practices that haven't been agreed to beforehand by the union.

It's the latest move in a long-running dispute, which has also seen members stop attending meetings or replying to emails outside of school hours since April.

Teachers will still continue to prepare for their timetabled lessons, teach and mark and assess pupils’ work.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach says:

“We have had no choice but to escalate our action due to the failure of the Manx Government to engage with us and take seriously the concerns of our members.

“Teachers had the biggest single annual real-terms cut to their pay imposed on them for 2021/22 and have not even yet been offered a pay award for the current academic year.

“Teachers are being expected to work harder for less money as the cost of living soars.

“Our members are simply not prepared to put up with being taken for granted any longer. Unless the Manx Government agrees to work with us to provide teachers with a better deal on their pay and working conditions we will have no choice but to move to strike action later this term.”

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has been approached for comment.