The union representing Scotland's nursery nurses will continue to press for a national pay settlement in the long term despite deciding to "investigate" offers from local authorities in a bid to end their eight-week strike action.
Unison has agreed to enter negotiations with the 17 local authorities where a settlement hasn't yet been reached. However, local union branches will still have the power to decide whether or not to end strike action while talks continue.
Carol Ball, chair of the union's nursery nurses working party, said it had become apparent that CoSLA, the local authority employers' association, was going to "sit us out forever".
But she added: "We will never agree that having local settlements is just and fair. We are going to ask (First Minister) Jack McConnell to start a national review as soon as possible."
