School leaders say they are prepared to take strike action over pay.

Members of the National Association of Head Teachers, which represents head teachers in every primary school in the island were balloted over taking possibly industrial action.

A total of 95 per cent of members indicated that they are prepared to take industrial action short of strike and 85 per cent indicated that they are prepared to go on strike. Turn-out was 71.9 per cent.

The NAHT said it will now be working with its members to determine the next steps, while also continuing to seek a settlement to the dispute.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said school leaders have been ’forced’ to accept 10 years of below-inflation pay awards, amounting to real-terms pay cuts.

He said: ’Despite the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) last year recommending a pay rise of 3.5% for all teachers and leaders, the employers on the Isle of Man have not awarded school leaders the full amount.

’Failures to implement fair pay settlements for leaders and their teams have had a huge and negative impact on recruitment and retention.’

He added: ’Without a skilled and motivated workforce, none of the government’s aspirations to raise the academic and social standards and outcomes for children and young people will come to fruition.

’The current pay offer does not cover the expectation placed upon Isle of Man school leaders.’

Max Kelly, president of NAHT’s Isle of Man branch, said the union was still keen to avoid strike action.

He said: ’School leaders on the Isle of Man are feeling downtrodden and undervalued. They are dedicated professionals, absolutely committed to providing the best education possible for all children.

’For too long the government has taken that, and them, for granted. NAHT has been negotiating with employers since the start of the year, but to no avail.

’We are keen to avoid action, and the door remains open to further talks, but school leaders deserve a fair deal for the vital work they do.’

But the Manx government points out that teachers’ pay here is in line with the UK and long-standing agreements with the unions.

It was the UK Secretary of State who chose not to wholly follow the recommendation of the pay review body, but instead applied differential awards to different scales, meaning school heads would only get a 1% increase.

A second teachers’ union, the NASUWT, is calling for a court of inquiry into its claims that a substantial, above-inflation increase is needed to address the ’chronic’ erosion of teachers’ pay since 2010.