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Teachers will have the Government's latest pay deal forced into their wage packets with a condition that they cannot strike for three years – unless they explicitly opt out of receiving the rise, it has emerged.
And those who accept the offer and then later strike will have the pay uplift removed from their salary and the one-off payment £1,000 taken back.
The Government's most recent pay offer offers a 8% consolidated increase in pay and one-off payment of £1,000 for 2024.
It also includes pay increases for 2025 and 2026 equivalent to the rate of inflation.
Teachers from the NASUWT voted narrowly to accept the offer, but it was rejected by members of the NEU.
However, in a letter sent to all teachers yesterday shared with Express, the Vice Chair of the States Employment Board explained that the pay package will be forced on any teacher who does not explicitly opt out.
Deputy Elaine Millar explained that any employee who does not want to accept the offer must expressly confirm this via email before noon on 1 February.
Pictured: A number of teacher strikes have been held throughout the year.
Any teacher who does not opt out will be deemed to have accepted the pay offer and "would be unable to engage in any industrial action relating to pay in each of 2024, 2025 and 2026", the letter states.
For teachers who do not accept the pay offer, "their corresponding legal right to participate in industrial action in relation to pay would remain".
Unions responded furiously to the offer when contacted by Express this afternoon.
NEU officials said they learned of the government's move minutes before letters started to be sent out to teachers at 2.30pm yesterday.
The union's joint district and branch secretary Adrian Moss said: "We are exceptionally disappointed with this development and the attempt to pressurise teachers into accepting the pay deal.
"The implications are that teachers would be identified as to which union they were members of, and we would question the legality of that, and also of the blanket moratorium on industrial action, whatever the reason for the action."
A statement issued by the NEU's senior regional officer, Nick Childs, said: "The NEU remains in dispute with the government, regardless of whether they decide to pay of the rejected offer and to whom.
"We will be consulting with our members and national executive shortly over next steps in our campaign including consideration of further industrial action.”
Mr Moss also criticised the lack of consultation prior to the letter being sent to teachers, and the "opt out" requirement that he was concerned might indicate that some teachers had accepted the pay offer when they had not seen the letter.
"We are seeking further advice, and would also like the opportunity to discuss this with government," he said. "Our advice to members would be not to respond to the letter straight away."
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