Isle of Man senior teachers back strike action over pay

The NAHT said 85% of those who took part in the ballot supported a walk-out

Senior teaching staff on the Isle of Man have voted to strike over pay, a union has said.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said 85% of those who voted on the island backed a walk-out.

The union said teachers were being "taken for granted", after a proposed pay increase was not implemented.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) said strike action was "disappointing, but not entirely unexpected".

An NAHT spokesman said the vote also saw 95% of those responding support "industrial action short of strike", which would start on 2 September, two days before the start of the new school year.

More than 70% of the union's 57 Manx members took part in the vote.

The ballot is the latest step in a row, which arose after the School Teachers' Review Body recommended an increase of 3.5% across the board in 2018, which the UK wants to implement using tiered rises.

Pay rates for teaching staff on the island are linked to those in England.

NAHT national secretary Rob Kelsall said members felt a "sense of burning injustice" over the "unacceptable" pay award.

The DESC's Lawrie Hooper MHK said the department had offered to take the dispute to independent arbitration, adding: "The ball is entirely in the union's court as to whether or not they decide to go ahead with that."