I believe Unison's decision to agree to local pay deals in Scotland has weakened the nursery nursing pay cause and that of low-paid workers in general. It is not in the Government's interest to provide a national pay scale for nursery nurses, as it would mean admitting that the work we do is important and has a valued place in education. At present, as a workforce we are only just about recognised. Giving us a national pay scale such as teachers and firefighters have would put us on a different footing and give us much more clout when it comes to negotiating pay deals.
I believe Unison's decision to agree to local pay deals in Scotland has weakened the nursery nursing pay cause and that of low-paid workers in general. It is not in the Government's interest to provide a national pay scale for nursery nurses, as it would mean admitting that the work we do is important and has a valued place in education.
At present, as a workforce we are only just about recognised. Giving us a national pay scale such as teachers and firefighters have would put us on a different footing and give us much more clout when it comes to negotiating pay deals.
I also think training in the early years needs to be streamlined. If you want to train to be a teacher there is one main qualification. In nursery nursing we have the BTec, NVQs, the CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education, and at least one degree-level qualification, and there are also various levels within some of these qualifications. Instead there should be one structured qualification with a mandatory basic training, which then branches out to specialisms in the various fields.
Having a fragmented training structure for the early years allows the powers-that-be not to recognise us as a unified workforce.
Adriano Caria
Putney, London.
