Public school teachers will be paid in line with public service workers, Bermuda Union of Teachers president Lisa Trott revealed last night.

From 2008-09, their pay will be linked "as close as mathematically possible" to Bermuda Public Service Union. The move — welcomed by teachers last night — follows a long-running dispute between BUT and the Ministry of Education.

Teachers will also receive a rise of 4.5 percent in 2006-07 and 4 percent in 2007-08 — an offer they had previously rejected in talks with the Ministry.

Ms Trott said the new deal — granted by an arbitration panel — would likely mean another increase in 2008-09, with teachers also reaping the rewards every time BPSU negotiates a pay rise in future years.

"During the arbitration, the Ministry's team tried to say that we were given parity (with BPSU) in 2004. But that was only for that period of time. Now this says they will give us that parity forever," Ms Trott told The Royal Gazette. She said teachers had responded well after being told of the agreement in a meeting at Berkeley Institute.

"People applauded and people were very pleased," she said. "Going through an arbitration like this you really get a sense as to how hard the Government's team works to ensure that you don't get a pay rise.

"Some things were said about us, for example that teachers are part-time workers. We even had people comparing us to garbage truck workers.

"Once the facts are given, people will understand we are not asking for anything exorbitant over and above anything everyone else is getting. We just want our fair share. We didn't ask for more than BPSU."

Ms Trott pointed out that the new deal means teachers lose the right to negotiate their own salaries. She said it was impossible to say what kind of increase they could expect in 2008-09 because BPSU negotiations are ongoing.

Most teachers leaving the building yesterday said they were pleased with the deal.

"I'm very happy, very happy," said one.

"I'm not too sure how much we got, I can't remember, but I'm glad about it," said another.

One man suggested he had not received the news he was hoping for, saying: "They never give you the answer. They never give you the answer that you want."