Nursery workers want a pay review

About 2,500 nursery nurses in the west of Scotland started three days of strike action.

The nurses have called for a �4,000 a year pay rise to reflect the extra duties they say they have had to undertake.

The first day of action involved staff walkouts in 13 local authority areas.

Nursery workers from the east and north of Scotland are due to join the strikes on Wednesday for two days, with those in the west returning to work on Thursday.

The widening of action will affect all of Scotland's local authorities, involving about 5,000 staff.

We recognise that nursery nurses feel undervalued and disappointed that their changing role has not been recognised in their pay Cosla spokesperson

Earlier this month, thousands of nursery nurses voted in favour of strike action in a ballot that followed a two-year campaign seeking a review of status and pay.

Carol Ball, chairwoman of Unison Scotland's nursery nurses working party, said the vote showed the strength of feeling over the issue.

The union announced plans for six weeks of co-ordinated industrial action, starting on 20 May.

About 400 council-run nurseries are expected to be hit by a combination of strike action and a boycott of duties added to the job over the years.

Ms Ball said: "Initial reports indicate that the action is being well supported across Scotland.

"We will be varying the action that nursery nurses will be taking.

Special schools

"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."

However, Cosla, the organisation representing most of Scotland's councils, has called on the union to suspend the strike and return to the negotiating table.

Walkouts are being staggered across the country

A spokesperson said that the dispute could have been avoided if Unison had continued to negotiate.

"The employers' side have tabled fair and sensible proposals which would allow nursery nurses jobs to be evaluated using the agreed national framework," said the sopkesperson.

"We recognise that nursery nurses feel undervalued and disappointed that their changing role has not been recognised in their pay.

"A proper re-evaluation of their job descriptions and grades is required. This evaluation should take place under the process agreed by the Single Status Agreement and not through unwarranted and unnecessary strike action."

There are an estimated 7,500 nursery nurses working in Scotland's council-run nursery schools, day nurseries and special schools.

However, they are paid different rates in different establishments and in different parts of the country.

Ms Ball said there had been no review of nursery nurses' pay for 15 years.

Among those affected on the first day of action were Glasgow City Council, which runs 120 nurseries.