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The local government union, Unison, rejected an offer on Friday that would have set a top salary of �18,000 a year, calling it "totally inadequate".

On Saturday, hundreds of nursery nurses rallied in Glasgow to draw attention to their campaign.

With no move towards a national deal, further strike action is being taken at local authority nurseries across Scotland.

Industrial action is taking place across most of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, with strikes in Edinburgh and the Lothians on Wednesday and Thursday.

The employers' organisation, Cosla, said it was disappointed that the trade unions had decided to walk away from was "a reasonable offer".

It said: "The proposal we put on the table was a sizable improvement from where they were."

Extra duties

Nursery nurses are complaining that they have not had a pay review for 15 years, despite having to learn additional skills and having extra duties forced upon them.

The maximum salary for a fully qualified nursery nurse with eight years' experience is �13,800, with a minimum salary of �10,000.

Joe Di Paola, Scottish organiser for Unison, said: "It is about more money. It is as simple and as clear as that. They are offering �18,000 at the top and we are saying that it is not enough.

"The qualified nurse that looks after children during the school year is still going to earn something like �15,000 because that top amount is paid on a pro-rata basis

"The only way you will get that �18,000 is if you work 52 weeks a year."

Cosla said it was encouraging councils to make local agreements and the deal offered to unions last week was only a guideline to help councils draw up deals.

Local deals

Pat Watters, president of the council umbrella group, insisted previous agreements with Unison precluded any nationally-imposed pay deals.

He said: "Some people work 32, 34 or 36 hours a week, some work 52 weeks a year and others work the school year. There is no way we could make this deal nationally.

"The effects of this walkout is that it will be putting parents who depend on the service at a clear disadvantage."

Mr Watters said South Lanarkshire and Aberdeen councils had already agreed with local union officials, and Fife Council was engaged in "positive talks" with unions.

Cosla said its new pay guidelines, rejected by the union last week, could be backdated to April this year and would require no change to working practices.