A teaching union has praised the support that members have received from parents in the island.

Three unions are involved in a dispute with the Department of Education, Sport and Culture over pay and conditions and, from Monday, February 24, they will all undertake industrial action short of striking.

A National Association of Head Teachers spokesman told the Manx Independent that ’many members of the public have been surprised to learn that many duties undertaken by the teaching profession are voluntary’.

He added: ’For teachers, that is usually no problem at all. But when the employer is unwilling to apply the independent review body’s recommendation for pay, as is required through the pay policy, and when the employer won’t give a fair pay deal to its teachers, then the profession is left with no alternative but to show just how much of the education system is reliant on goodwill and unpaid work.

’Government could have avoided this by agreeing a resolution to the dispute, but instead it has dug its heels in and is now having to apologise to parents and carers.

’We again call for the Chief Minister to intervene and help resolve this dispute.’

Earlier this week, the Isle of Man Examiner reported that the department’s chief executive, Roland Barr, had written to unions advising them that the department had received advice that it may be within its right to deduct pay from teachers due to their industrial action.

However, Rob Kelsall, national secretary of the NAHT, hit back.

’If DESC were to try to enforce their claim then it would be challenged both in the courts and industrially,’ Mr Kelsall said.