School leaders could begin a work-to-rule next week in a dispute over pay.

The National Association of Head Teachers has given notification to the Manx government that its members plan to take action short of a strike, on a continuous basis, from the start of term next week.

But NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said the union remains committed to finding a negotiated settlement to the dispute - and ’stands ready to enter into meaningful discussion’ to avoid the need for action.

The NAHT has a headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher or teacher members in each of the island’s primary schools and one of the five state secondary schools.

Earlier this month, 95% of NAHT members indicated that they were prepared to take industrial action short of strike. Some 85% of members indicated that they were prepared to take strike action. The turn-out was 71.9%.

Max Kelly, president of NAHT’s Isle of Man branch, said: ’School leaders on the Isle of Man deserve a fair deal for the vital work they do.

’We are keen to avoid action, and the door remains open to further talks. We’ve received no invitation to talks on the pay dispute and we’ve been striving to resolve this dispute since March.’

In his letter to Department of Education chief executive Ronald Barr, Mr Whiteman has set out the forms of industrial action the union intends to take - unless the government agrees to further talks.

They include non-attendance at senior leaders’ meetings with the department and government and non-engagement with the appraisal policy for all staff.

There will be no engagement with the school self review and evaluation process other than that required by the provisions of section 51 of the Education Act 2001.

And the union says school leaders will refuse to implement or comply with the parent pay policy and surveys, sign off pay control listings or engage with department-directed in-service training days.

It has emerged that Professor Barr has sent a letter out to teachers and staff via schools claiming that any industrial action taken by head teachers may delay performance related pay increases for staff.

Mr Kelly said the union is aware of a letter sent to teachers employed by the department regarding pay increments.

He said: ’We do accept it accurately reflects the position and as such will be liaising with our sister trade unions to confirm the same.’

The union says school leaders have been ’forced’ to accept 10 years of below-inflation pay awards, amounting to real-terms pay cuts.

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.

This meant school heads only got a 1% increase, rather than the full 3.5% awarded to other teachers as recommended by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).

A spokesman for the DESC reassured parents that schools will open as expected on September 4 and that the proposed industrial action will not have any immediate impact on the education provided to pupils.

She said: ’Separately, the department has written to all primary school teachers to explain the potential impact the industrial action will have on them.

’The department is disappointed at the head teachers’ decision but remains committed to finding a resolution. It has invited the NAHT to take the dispute to binding arbitration for resolution.’