Nursery nurses are demanding a pay review

Strike action by thousands of nursery nurses across Scotland is to start with a two-day walkout next week, union officials have announced.

The nurses will strike in some parts of Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday and in other areas on Wednesday and Thursday.

Children who attend nurseries face disruption as a result of the industrial action over pay by almost 5,000 Scottish nursery nurses.

The nurses will also start an indefinite boycott of duties which they have taken on since the last pay review 15 years ago, according to public sector union Unison.

The action comes after a ballot which saw 90% of those who returned their papers vote for strike and other industrial action.

Whilst we will be boycotting extra duties across the country, we will be taking strike action at different times in different areas Carol Ball, Unison

It also follows a long running campaign for a review and reassessment of their pay.

Nursery nurses are paid about �13,000 a year by their local authority employers.

Carol Ball, chair of Unison Scotland's nursery nurses working party, said: "Whilst we will be boycotting extra duties across the country, we will be taking strike action at different times in different areas.

"This is to try and minimise the disruption to parents whilst maintaining the highest possible public profile of nursery nurses."

The union's national emergency committee was due to discuss what further local and Scotland-wide action to take during a meeting on Monday.

Angela Lynes, a national executive committee member of Unison, said parents had been "very supportive".

She said: "We are sure that they recognise the justice in our members' claim, and that a badly paid service will not deliver the quality education their children deserve."

The industrial action will mean the closure of Scotland's nurseries and nursery schools on strike days as well as general disruption to the service.