Workers' Liberty

Nursery Nurses across Scotland have been on all-out strike from 1 March 2004.

The basic pay for this vitally important job runs from around £10,000 for a newly qualified nursery nurse up to £13,800 after 10 years' experience. In a dispute that has been running for three years UNISON have made a claim for nursery nurses to take their pay up to £14,000-£18,000 with merit for nursery nurses working longer hours and weeks. They also want a career structure for promoted staff.

In recent years the job has seen numerous added responsibilities but the pay has stayed the same - abysmal.

COSLA (the employers) first argued that the dispute had to be settled locally, then told councils it should be negotiated nationally. They are now refusing to negotiate at a Scottish level again. The dispute needs to be sorted out nationally because the alternative is a free-for-all with different councils paying different wages for the same job.

Nonetheless recently, and despite a solid strike, the union has been looking at the different offers being made by 20 local authorities. Representatives have now agreed to enter local negotiations. But there remains a huge difference in the offers: from £8.76 to £10.46 per hour.

Meanwhile nursery nurses remain on strike and continue to need support.

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