Nurses suspend threat of action

After 18 months of campaigning, the nurses claim they have gained recognition for their extensive role from Darlington Borough Council's management.

The nurses had said they should be better rewarded for their work and had threatened to work to rule if their conditions were not met.

Although the nurses' basic role is to look after children, they claimed they were heavily involved in other work such as curriculum planning and liaising with parents.

Despite this extended role, the nurses claimed they were paid about half the salary given to teachers, despite being qualified to at least NVQ level Three standard.

When the nurses first threatened action earlier this year, the council said it understood their argument but a job evaluation, looking at their skills and responsibilities, had to be carried out before changes could be made.

But, following a series of discussions between the two sides, a packed meeting of nursery nurses on Wednesday agreed to suspend the proposed action while talks continue.

Mary Harris, a nursery nurse employed by the council, said: "We do a good job providing quality early years education for the children of Darlington. We are dedicated staff and we should be adequately rewarded.

"I hope that now management recognise the important role we play in schools they will genuinely negotiate with us to provide us with a proper pay structure."

A Darlington council spokesman said last night: "We welcome Unison's decision. It is a sensible approach and we will be continuing our discussions with them."

Alan Docherty, Unison branch secretary, said that the nurses had been encouraged by a similar claim by workers in Nottinghamshire which had been met by their council.

A meeting will be held at Christmas to report back to the nurses on the progress made between the two sides.

If this meeting decides no progress has been made, the nurses have said they will reconsider industrial action.