Middlesbrough Council carried out job evaluations for council employees in 2005 as part of the Single Status agreement, but agreed to put those for nursery nurses on hold so that their terms and conditions could be looked at separately.
The council is now imposing new terms and conditions of employment on nursery nurses and auxiliary staff after talks between their representatives, unions and the council broke down. Moreover, if nursery nurses fail to sign by 1 October they will have a contract imposed on them and will lose the three-year pay protection given to other council employees whose jobs were downgraded under Single Status.
Helen Charlton, a nursery nurse who was involved in the negotiations, told Nursery World that she faced a pay cut of £2,385 and some nursery nurses could lose up to £6,000.
She said, 'I feel that the council are holding us to ransom. People are feeling bullied and intimidated.'
Nursery nurses must either sign a contract to work term-time only 30 hours a week or approach their heads to negotiate an increase in hours to make up pay losses.
But Ms Charlton said this was no guarantee. 'If you were to increase your hours to 37 hours and then next year the school budget completely changes you could end up being made redundant, 'she said.
Judy Turner, a nursery nurse at the Cleveland Unit Child Development Centre and Assessment Nursery at James Cooke Hospital, said that she was concerned that valuable expertise could be lost.
'We have a highly skilled staff working with children with cerebral palsy, speech and language difficulties and autism.'
Unison regional officer Janet Greig said staff in other areas were informed of their job evaluation, new grade and protection before being balloted. 'Nursery nurses in Middlesbrough were only given their scores and grades with the offer of new terms and conditions at the end of the summer term. By saying that they must accept new terms and conditions or suffer less favorable terms is treating them differently than the wider workforce. No other employee has had to change terms and conditions before the implementation of their new job evaluated pay grade.'
She said the union was prepared to take legal action if necessary. 'Our members have also indicated they are prepared to take industrial action and a consultative ballot has already been sent out.'
A council spokesperson said, 'The unions concerned are meeting with their members this Wednesday and the council has expressed its willingness to consider what arises from these discussions as well as to consider Joint Secretaries conciliation.'