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27 October 2003
Fourth week of strikes as employers refuse to budge.
A fourth week of the current wave of nursery strikes is to go ahead
because the nursery nurses have had no approach from CoSLA to reopen
the talks on their pay and regrading claim.
Joe Di Paola, (UNISON's Scottish Organiser for local government)
said "What CoSLA are doing is creating more and more problems
for parents. They know that this is the case and yet they refuse
to talk to us. Everyone now recognises that the recommendation that
they made, would be worth nothing to the vast bulk of nursery nurses,
even if councils chose to implement it. Indeed, CoSLA's President
is obviously aware that it is a poor offer, as his own council agreed
to pay its nursery nurses more to get a temporary local settlement!
We would ask him to insist that a deal is done in Scotland to stop
this continuing escalation."
This week of action will close nurseries in the following councils:
East, North and South Ayrshire , and Perth - All Week; Argyll &
Bute, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Stirling - Tuesday-Thursday,
28-30 Oct; Scottish Borders - Tuesday and Wednesday; Orkney - Wednesday
and Thursday.
UNISON is worried that a break up of Scottish-wide pay could lead
to a 'social - work' style situation, with councils offering different
incentives to attract nursery nurses. They accuse CoSLA of a blinkered
approach. The union will be meeting in the next two weeks to agree
the tactics to continue the campaign.
Carol Ball, Chair of UNISON's Scottish Nursery Nurses Working
Party said "It is a huge disappointment to nursery nurses to
have to intensify their action. We know it hurts our children and
their parents. Even at this stage we would call on the employers
to re-open talks in Scotland. Nursery Nurses want to get back to
the job of educating and caring for children. And they want to do
it across Scotland, being paid the same salary for doing the same
job."
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact: Joe Di Paola (Scottish
Organiser - Local Govt) 0845 355 0845(w) 07990 505698(m) Carol Ball
(Chair Nursery Nurse WP) 0141-552 7069(o) 07803 952263 (m) Chris
Bartter (Communications Officer) 0845 355 0845(w) 0771 558 3729(m)
Nursery
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