A teaching union is to ballot its Isle of Man members over pay.

And a second union is calling for a court of inquiry to be convened to resolve a dispute over pay.

The NAHT, which represents head teachers in every primary school in the island, has told the Department of Education, Sport and Culture that it will be balloting its members on industrial action over pay.

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

The NASUWT, meanwhile, is demanding a substantial, above-inflation increase to address the ’chronic’ erosion of teachers’ pay since 2010, which it says is now 30% behind what it was in 2000, when increased pension contributions are taken into account.

Its call for a court of inquiry follows what it says have been ’unproductive’ talks with the DESC. But the DESC insists that salaries here are equivalent to those in England.

Rob Kelsall, NAHT national secretary, said: ’School leaders on the Isle of Man are feeling downtrodden and undervalued.

’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.’

Damien McNulty, NASUWT national executive member, said: ’If we are unable to resolve this to the satisfaction of our members through dialogue and discussion the only other recourse we have is an industrial action response.

’That could be a work to rule or action up to and including strike action.’

The DESC awarded 3.5% rise for teachers who have been in the job up to six years, 2% for those in the seven, eighth and ninth year of their career and 1.5% for those in leadership.

But the NASUWT say teachers in England are 20% behind what they were paid in 2000 but that figure is 30% for teachers in the Isle of Man.

Failure of salary to keep pace with inflation is not the only reason why salaries have fallen since 2010, it says - teachers have also seen increased pension deductions from their salaries.

But the DESC said teachers here are paid in line with the UK where each year a pay review body submits recommendations on salary increases to the Secretary of State for Education. Last year he chose not to wholly follow those recommendations, but instead applied differential awards to different scales.

The DESC said it fully applied this award in accordance with its pay policy and long standing arrangements with teaching unions - but the NASUWT said the initial recommended award should have been applied instead.

This matter has been raised with the Manx Industrial Relations Service which can recommend a court of inquiry.

’The department will engage with the process,’ said the DESC spokesman.

He added: ’The NASUWT has spoken of a cumulative erosion of pay, when increased pension and NI contributions are taken into account. However all those working on-island benefit from the beneficial tax system that exists here.’