School leaders to start industrial action short of strike at midnight tonight

Wed, 29 Jan 2020

Members of school leaders' union NAHT, which represents leaders in every school on the Isle of Man, will be commencing industrial action short of strike from midnight on Thursday.

School leaders are being forced to take industrial action as the Department for Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) has failed to resolve a long-standing dispute over pay.

At a union meeting on Tuesday, Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: "The strength of feeling of school leaders and teachers on the island is clear and we are determined to continue to stand together to improve things for both staff and pupils in the island's schools. Enough is enough. Now is the time for action."

The action follows an official ballot in which 96 per cent of NAHT school leader members voted that they would be prepared to take industrial action short of strike, and 87 per cent said they were prepared to strike.

Education unions on the Isle of Man have been in dispute with the DESC over pay since the beginning of 2019. 

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