Public services unions are balloting members on a three-year pay offer for government workers.

The three-year deal will cover some 3,400 civil servants and government manual and craft workers - and will also mean a pay rise for Tynwald members.

It comprises a 55p per hour increase backdated to April - and will mean everyone gets an extra £1,062 a year.

But postal workers, meanwhile, are preparing to ballot for industrial action over changes to their pay and conditions. The Post Office board says it has a ’robust’ contingency plan should there be a Christmas strike.

The 55p an hour pay offer for Public Service Commission employees equates to a 3% increase to the salary bill.

Lower paid staff will receive a higher percentage increase compared to those on higher pay. Employees earning £20,000 a year will get 5.3%, those earning £60,000 will receive 1.77% more and those earning £100,000 will get 1.06%.

From April next year, there will be 2.5% consolidated increase for all employees.

And for the third year, there will be a 2.75% consolidated increase unless CPI inflation is more than 0.5% higher or more than 0.5% lower than 2.75%.

In this case, negotiations will begin again.

A ballot by members of the Prospect and Unite unions closes on December 7. Each 1% increase in pay for PSC employees equates to a cost of £1.2m on the pay bill of £120m per annum. This will be met from existing and future budgets.

The PSC employs 3,400 full-time equivalent civil servants and manual and craft workers. The offer was made following conciliation via the Manx Industrial Relations Service.

A £1,062 pay raise will take Tynwald members’ basic salary to £42,408.