A teaching union has said it was left with ’no option’ other than to reject the government’s latest offer to settle the teachers’ pay dispute.

The NASUWT union said it was told it could not consult with members over whether to accept the latest offer from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.

In a statement from the union, it said government had issued its latest offer as a ’best and final offer’ to settle the dispute over pay and conditions.

However, the union said that the government ’attached conditions to the offer which were not acceptable’.

It added: ’These included giving a deadline to accept the offer less than 72 hours after it was published, and a requirement that the offer be accepted without any consultation with members, with the details withheld until August, or whenever the current crisis is over.

’Notwithstanding that the offer itself fell short of our expectations, these conditions meant that NASWUT had no option but to reject it.

’The full details cannot be published due to the confidentiality of the mediation process.’

Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson confirmed his department had not been able to secure a deal with the unions when he spoke at Sunday’s press briefing about the coronavirus crisis.

Dr Allinson said: ’During the last two weeks we have had lots of discussions with the teaching unions, all of them, and we have had a lot of help from Treasury and the Office of Human Resources.

’A deal was put on the table and unfortunately we could not get all the unions to agree to it.

’Those unions, obviously at a time of crisis, have agreed to call off some of the actions they were taken.

’But we haven’t resolved their underlying problem. We now have to look at the problem and deal with this at a future point.’

Unions confirmed they are working with government during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

President of the NAHT Max Kelly, last week wrote to Chief Minister Howard Quayle saying the profession was standing by government for as long as the problems continue.

Mr Kelly said: ’’As a profession, we will do all we can to support the national effort, but we need to do it in a way that is safe and measured.

’For now that means changing the way we work and operate in the face of increased anxieties and staff absences.

’No doubt that dynamic will change and we stand ready to work with you as this emergency continues to unfold.

’It will not be easy, but the scale of the crisis means that many solutions will have to be tried even though they are less than perfect.’

Mr Quayle said the letter ’was a lovely letter to get a really tough time’.

***since this article was first published, we have been contacted by unions representing the island's teachers and informed that all unions in dispute with the government that rejected it's offer. We are happy to correct this***