Teachers will soon resume pay negotiations for a two-year contract - just months after finally getting an average seven percent pay hike after a winter of strikes.

That award was backdated as the teachers were working out of contract but the current deal expires on August 31.

And teachers could again be seeking an inflation-busting pay award as they are still not clear if they have achieved their goal of parity with other Government professionals.

The February award by a Government arbitration panel was welcomed at the time by Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) general secretary Michael Charles.

Asked yesterday if the new contract would be on a similar scale to February's, he said: "The reason why it was large and the reason the arbitration panel gave us that award was because of the parity issue.

"They have directed us to continue discussions on the same issue of parity. They are not even sure parity was reached. We are still in discussions.

"Until both sides are satisfied parity is settled we have to continue discussions. That's the directive of the tribunal."

Asked how far off from parity the two sides were, he said: "As of this moment I don't know.

"It's something we are discussing at the moment. We will continue.

"It's important to reach pay parity."

He said classroom preparation was likely to be a big issue.

"It's something that causes teachers a lot of concern, the planning time. Teachers use up a lot of hours outside school.

"That's a sore point."

Teachers want pay equal to other civil servants with the same academic qualifications.

Currently a new teacher starts off on a salary of about $51,000 a year.