Education chiefs have not submitted a business plan for the teachers’ pay deal they offered to a union last week.

The position was revealed after permission was given for an emergency question in Tynwald on Tuesday as the pay dispute between the Education Department and teacher rumbled on.

Education Minister Graham Cregeen was also accused of abandoning a joint negotiating framework with all the unions - by striking a deal with the NEU - while he said the other unions, which have all voted in favour industrial action, had not provided enough detail of what they wanted. He insisted the department was still prepared to negotiate.

Last week the Department of Education, Sport and Culture struck a deal with the National Education Union that would see all teachers move to the ’London Fringe Area’ pay range - worth about £1,000 extra - and remove the two lowest scales of pay bands, meaning a rise in the starting salary for teachers. That offer will be voted on by NEU members.

But in Tynwald on Tuesday, Mr Cregeen confirmed that a business case for such a package had not yet been put to the Treasury.

He said the department had not required Treasury concurrence to reach a deal in principle.

’We are going to put a business case for some additional funding or for how we fund that paper,’ he added.

Explaining what happened with the NEU, Mr Cregeen said: ’At this meeting, an agreement was reached that would see all Isle of Man teachers move to the "London Fringe Area" pay range, retaining the link to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.

’Under the agreement the two lowest teaching pay scales would be removed.’

He added: ’Trade unions have argued that they consider pay erosion for teachers, when compared to other pay groups, is as great as 30%.

’The department’s figures demonstrate that, when the significantly higher pension contributions by civil servants has been accounted for, the ’pay erosion’ for teachers, when compared to PSC, over the last 10 years is approximately 1.23%.

’When added to last year’s pay increase of 2.75%, the approximate 2.5% uplift from a move towards the fringe ranges and a much-anticipated above-inflation award, within the STPCD for 2020, this two-year deal could easily lead to an increase of 8% to 9% over 12 months.’

In response to a further question about whether the uplift for new teachers would have a knock-on effect for teachers on higher grades, he said other bands would remain the same.

The offer would mean a newly qualified teacher would be on £6,000 more than previously, he said.

The NEU is currently seeking the support of its members for this deal.

But Julie Edge (Onchan) said she was ’astounded’ that the department had announced the in-principle deal with NEU leaders without first ensuring that there would be Treasury concurrence and queried whether that complied with financial regulations.

Daphne Caine (Garff) questioned why the NEU meeting had taken place through the Manx Industrial Relations Service.

’Is it normal for his department to negotiate with a union that is not in dispute, through the Manx Industrial Relations Service? I find that curious,’ she said.

’Would he accept that the deal that has been reached, to erode the lowest two pay grades, is actually causing concern for teachers immediately above that and it has not been welcomed universally by the teaching profession.’

Mrs Caine said teachers with one or two years additional experience than their newly qualified counterparts would not see any progression up the pay scale.

The National Association of Head Teachers, the NASUWT and the Associational of School and College Leaders have all voted in favour of industrial action in the pay dispute.

Mr Cregeen said: ’I hope the three unions will put the offer negotiated by the National Education Union to their members before they take any industrial action. This offer will see new teachers start on nearly £6,000 more than previously.

’It will also see all other teachers receive almost £1,000 a year more.’

This week the UK Government confirmed its plans to increase starting salaries for teachers in England up to £30,000 over the next two years.

However, the joint general secretary of the NEU Kevin Courtney said that the proposal for a differentiated pay deal in England was likely to cause ’widespread dismay’ and was a ’devastating message’ for experienced teachers.