The debate was tabled by the Scottish Socialist Party and was led by MSP Frances Curran, who accused the Scottish Executive of 'double standards' and 'utter hypocrisy' for increasing nursery nurses' responsibilities without giving them more pay. But despite the full backing of the Scottish National Party, the vote was defeated, with 70 MSPs voting against the proposal and 44 in favour.
More than 100 striking nursery nurses belonging to the public service union Unison packed the public gallery to hear the debate, with several hundred supporters outside, during the second week of the all-out strike.
During parliamentary questions after the debate, First Minister Jack McConnell said the Scottish Executive would not intervene to end the dispute. He said, 'The Executive believes strongly that nursery nurses in Scotland deserve better pay and that they do an excellent job. It believes, however, that it is for employers and trade unions to negotiate a proper settlement and for nursery nurses to receive the pay settlement that is agreed.'
Carol Ball, chair of Unison's nursery nurse working party, said they would continue their action indefinitely until a fair national pay deal was reached.
Members of the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN), whose union has a 'no strike' policy, have supported their Unison colleagues by not covering for their work or looking after children in their groups. But some PANN nursery nurses have told Nursery World that Unison nursery nurses picketing outside nurseries had been intimidating them.
One PANN member from a nursery in West Dunbartonshire said that up to 14 Unison pickets had come into the car park every day during the first week of the strike, accompanied by union officials. 'I do understand their right to take industrial action and picket, but they have to recognise my right not to.'
She added, 'Parents coming in have given us a lot of support, but it is very hard when you have Unison members hassling you.'
In the same setting a nursery nurse who was a former member of Unison and had taken part in a one-week strike in October, said she had joined PANN because she could not afford to take industrial action. 'As a single parent I can't run the risk of not paying the rent,' she said. 'Last week was terrible. Everybody's been issued guidelines for picketing, but we've had three or four girls being verbally abusive.'
PANN has around 5,000 members in the UK, with just under 1,000 in Scotland. But membership in Scotland was growing and a union spokesman said he believed the strike had had 'a significant impact on the increase'.
Tricia Pritchard, professional officer for PANN, said, 'We'd never advise or encourage our members to cross an unfriendly picket line.' Members faced with such action should explain the situation to their employer and ask for permission to stay away, on the understanding that they are not on strike but have been unable to do their job, she added. 'If there is intimidating action taking place we can take it up with the other union.'
Ms Ball said, 'Every day nursery nurses will ask people not to cross the picket line, but I have not witnessed anyone being intimidating. But it is difficult, I do understand.'
She said Unison did not expect people to suffer genuine financial difficulties as its nursery nurses were entitled to 75 a week in strike pay, costing the union 300,000 a week, and there was also a hardship fund.
On 12 March, Dumfries and Galloway became the tenth of 32 local authorities to reach a local settlement with nursery nurses.