Education Minister Graham Cregeen came under fire in the House of Keys on Tuesday, for his handling of the teachers’ pay dispute.

Increasingly tetchy exchanges between the minister and MHKs took place in the morning, ahead of teachers’ meetings to decide what industrial action to take.

Mr Cregeen defended his handling of the row and insisted he had the backing of Chief Minister Howard Quayle.

But Ralph Peake (Douglas North), who was a strident critic of the minister’s handling of swimming pool problems at the National Sports Centre, said: ’We have heard from the minister this morning that it is not the department’s fault. It is never the department’s fault.

’It is not the department’s fault with the NSC or the negotiation with the trade unions.

’When is the minister going to get a grip and show some leadership?’

Mr Cregeen (pictured) insisted his department had followed the right process.

And he added that he would expect Treasury member Mr Peake to support any request for additional funding, should it be required for a new pay deal.

The minister also accused unions of failing to provide the necessary information on their proposals.

’It is up to the unions to tell us what they would like,’ he said. The leaders of the National Education Union had recommended to their members that they accept an offer from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture - after holding their own separate talks with education chiefs.

But members voted against the deal by a substantial margin. The other three unions, the NAHT, NASUWT and ASCL, have voted in favour of industrial action.

Another of the minister’s critics, Julie Edge (Onchan), was granted leave by Speaker Juan Watterson to ask an urgent question calling on Mr Cregeen to give a statement on the latest developments.

Mr Cregeen said it was ’very disappointing’ the NEU membership had rejected the offer, under which the bottom two grades on the pay scale would have been removed - which the department said would effectively increase starting salaries by £6,000 - and put all teachers on the ’London fringe area’ grading, effectively worth an extra £1,100 for all teachers.

But concerns have been raised about a potential negative impact on those at the very next pay grade, teachers with a few years’ experience, who could find themselves on virtually the same pay rate as newly qualified teachers.

Mr Cregeen insisted: ’The department has been keen all along to discuss a pay deal with the unions. However, even up until today, the department has still not received an indication from NAHT, NASUWT or ASCL as to the pay deal they wish for going forward.

’They continue to quote (the) school teachers’ pay and conditions document plus X over three years but have yet to give a number to what X is.’

He added: ’I hope members will understand how difficult it has been for my officers to negotiate a deal with the unions if they continue not to give us a number to the percentage of what X is.’

Some union representatives were watching from the public gallery as MHKs questioned Mr Cregeen.

At one stage, Mr Cregeen accused Ms Edge of smiling at them and said she should be addressing some of her queries to them, rather than him.

Ms Edge said she was smiling at Keys colleagues, not the union representatives.