School teachers are a step closer to taking industrial action over the government's controversial proposals for performance-related pay.

The country's biggest teachers' union is threatening to boycott a new system designed to assess teachers' performance.

The government is planning to introduce a new salary structure, under which teachers' pay rises would depend partly on pupils hitting tests and exam targets, in the year 2000.

This will be underpinned by a new system of teacher appraisal, due to come into effect this September following a government review.

Doug McAvoy: "We will take whatever action is necessary"

Each teacher will be set annual objectives, with at least one of them involving "target-setting for expected pupil performance and progress".

From the year 2000, teachers' performance against their targets will determine whether they move up to a new higher salary scale with the chance to earn up to £35,000-a-year.

But the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Doug McAvoy, said there had been no previous mention of any link between appraisals and pay.

"Effectively, the government has gone in for sleight of hand in its review of appraisal", he said.

"If the government intended to impose any such link against the declared wish of teachers, we will take whatever action is necessary."

This could include "a boycott or non-co-operation with the new appraisal scheme", he added.

'Bully boy tactics'

The latest row over teachers' pay began earlier this week with the announcement of differential rises for teachers.

Classroom teachers are to receive an extra 3.5% from April, but some heads could see their pay increase by 9.5%.

The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers said the case for industrial action over the new appraisal scheme will be discussed at its conference at Easter.

The General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Peter Smith, said: "Appraisal can only work through consensus. You cannot make performance management work by bully boy tactics.

"We can't rule out industrial action ... but a simple refusal to co-operate by itself would be enough to sink the Government's proposals."