A spokesman for Edinburgh Council said it had held discussions with Unison through ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) on 18 May and that a revised offer had been put to Unison, which was presented to its membership on 20 May. The outcome of the ballot should be known tomorrow (28 May).
More than 300 nursery nurses are still on strike in Edinburgh.
A spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities said, 'The important thing is that for the first time, Unison officials in Edinburgh are urging acceptance.'
Barbara Foubister, chair of Edinburgh Unison, said the nursery nurses had rejected the council's previous offer of an hourly rate of 9.83 by six to one on a 73 per cent return. She added that it was 'with great reluctance' that the union was now recommending that its members vote to accept the offer, given that the nursery nurses had been out on strike for more than 12 weeks.
Ms Foubister said that the council's revised offer included an increase in the lump sum payment to 2,500, pro-rata, but that there was no change to the hourly rate, which is based on an increase from 32.5 hours to a 35-hour week. The extra two-and-a-half hours were for 'non-contact time'
and would be used for continuing professional development.
Ms Foubister said discussions were continuing between the union and the council over new job descriptions for nursery nurses. The proposal also included a new senior nursery nurse position.
On Monday afternoon, as Nursery World went to press, Fife Unison was also due to meet with the local authority and ACAS in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
Nursery nurses in East Ayrshire returned to work on 19 May after reaching a local settlement. They will receive a one-off payment of 1,000, pro-rata for part-time or job-share staff. Their hourly rate increases to 10.13 at the top of the pay scale, based on a 35-hour week, rising to 10.46 for additional recognised qualifications.
Arthur West, East Ayrshire Unison branch secretary, said, 'We are pleased there has been a local settlement to a very difficult dispute. We also want to acknowledge the solidarity shown by our members towards the aims of a national dispute.'
This latest settlement means that 25 of the 32 local authorities have now made local pay deals.
