Nurses want a review of their pay

Public sector union Unison said its members in Falkirk, Stirling, Perth and Kinross, Dundee and Fife will be involved in the two-day walkout.

Joe Di Paola, Unison's Scottish organiser for local government, warned council umbrella group Cosla that the action would continue throughout the summer unless there is a breakthrough.

But a spokesman for Cosla said its position had not changed.

"It wasn't so long ago that Cosla was complaining all over the media that we wouldn't talk to them," Mr Di Paola said.

Councillors apparently would rather sit back and wait for their summer holidays Joe Di Paola Unison

"We spoke to them and they refused to make a tangible move towards addressing nursery nurses' concerns.

"All we were looking for was a payment to bring nursery nurses to a fair level - but councillors apparently would rather sit back and wait for their summer holidays.

"Well we have news for them - it will not be a rest for them, as our members are angry and want to target them."

The union's national industrial action committee is due to meet later this week to discuss future action.

The latest strike comes ahead of a major demonstration in Glasgow on 24 June which will involve nurses from across the country.

Pay and responsibilities

Unison members are continuing to boycott additional duties which the body claims have been added to nursery nurse responsibilities since the last pay review 15 years ago.

Nursery nurses, who are paid about �13,000 a year, want a pay rise of about �4,000 a year to reflect the extra tasks they say they have had to undertake.

Industrial action by the 5,000 council-employed nursery nurse staff got under way on 20 May.

Many centres have either had to close or partially close when their areas are targeted by the rolling programme of strikes.