Nursery Nurses 'Solid' in Walkout

The Scottish Socialist Party tabled a motion to debate the matter in Parliament on Thursday.

Carolyn Leckie MSP said: “Thousands of nursery nurses have been taking industrial action for 10 months and the Scottish Socialist Party places itself squarely on the side of these low paid, undervalued and overwhelmingly female workers.

“We need to force the Executive off the fence over this dispute. The nursery nurses dispute is clearly within the domain of the Scottish Executive and yet they do not want to discuss the issue.” The Scotsman

Bigwigs demand deal they won't give nursery nurses

COUNCIL bosses blocking a national pay deal for nursery nurses were yesterday branded hypocrites for demanding a Scotland-wide deal themselves. Pat Watters, president of councils' association COSLA, told MSPs in January that all elected councillors in Scotland should enjoy nationally agreed pay rates.

The suggested figure was £25,150, half the basic salary of MSPs but he said even that would 'not be a reasonable level of remuneration' for councillors.

If Watters gets his way, the pay rise would add £22 million a year to the bill for taxpayers that already goes on generous allowances for councillors.

That is equivalent to 0.2 per cent of all council spending.

Public sector union Unison calculated the same amount would give all nursery nurses a £3600 rise almost enough to fund their pay claim at a stroke...

Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan said: 'Pat Watters and COSLA refuse to negotiate a national settlement for nursery nurses but demand just such a package for councillors.

'It reeks of hypocrisy. Sure, councillors should be entitled to a proper salary set nationally.

'But that is what people like Pat Watters are denying Scotland's underpaid and undervalued nursery nurses.' Daily Record