Education Minister Graham Cregeen has continued his war of words with a teaching union - from the floor of Tynwald.

The NASUWT is demanding an above inflation pay-rise for teachers, but Mr Cregeen accused the union of making incorrect claims that it had broken the agreement that locks into English pay reviews.

The minister told Tynwald: ’NASUWT wrongly claim we have already broken that agreement to follow England, because we did not honour an English agreement made two years ago which allowed a 2% discretionary increase for some high-performing teachers which was not applied to all teachers. However, it was agreed with all the unions here at the time that we would not pay that discretionary increase, to protect jobs.’

Former teacher Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) had asked Mr Cregeen what his plans were to increase teachers’ pay.

Mr Cregeen said the agreement meant in September this year the government implemented a 2% increase to the minimum and maximum of the main pay range and a one per cent increase to the rest of the pay scale.

He said the Department of Education and Children expected to implement the next agreed increase in 2018.

’The department has no plans to deviate from the current arrangements whereby pay is determined by the English pay review body,’ he added. Any break in these agreements would need to be done in consultation and agreement with the various teaching unions. None of the unions have indicated they wish to change, other than the NASUWT, who represent only a minority of teaching staff.’

Mr Cregeen said the DEC had made savings of £600,000 to fund the pay increases.

The minister and the union have been at loggerheads since earlier this year when the NASUWT claimed high levels of dissatisfaction among teachers in a survey challenged by the DEC. A new survey by the union - with 112 responses - said 74% of teachers were considering leaving their role.