More than 6000 nursery nurses were balloted in the Unison vote and there was a 68% return.

The impending action is due to go ahead at the beginning of March, although official dates will not be released until the employers are informed.

Parents and their children will face further disruption, which will leave them without day care services, with many parents being forced to take time off work to look after their children.

The union negotiating on behalf of the nursery nurses say it was the only option left in a bid to end the pay dispute with local authorities, which has caused months of disrupted nursery education across Scotland.

Two one-day strikes by nursery nurses in Dundee have taken place since the start of the month while action has been ongoing since May last year.

The nurses claim that, with an annual salary scale ranging from £10,000 to £13,800, they are long overdue a pay review.

A recommendation to councils by CoSLA would see the top salaries for nursery nurses increase to £18,000.

But Unison has claimed they would have to work more than 600 hours extra in a year to get that much, with the result that some would be earning a lower hourly rate than at present.

That has been disputed by the council, who insist that assurances have been given that staff in Dundee would not lose out even if they opted to continue working the present 32.5 hours a week over a 39-week year.

Unison Dundee branch secretary Rory Malone said nursery nurses in Dundee felt they were left with no alternative but to take further strike action.

“Nursery nurses have responded to what they felt is unreasonable pay offers,” he said.

“Due to CoSLA’s refusal to make a national settlement nursery nurses have once again been forced to strike.

“Employers will receive official notification of the strike dates before they are announced publicly but it will be an indefinite strike until the dispute is resolved.”

Although nursery nurses in six local authorities — Stirling, Perth and Kinross, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeen, Shetland and the Highlands — have all resolved their disputes, Mr Malone says that should not affect a national settlement being reached.

Carol Ball, chair of Unison’s nursery nurses working party, said, “It is disgraceful that employers still refuse to negotiate and would rather disrupt children’s education and parents’ working lives than pay Scottish nursery nurses for the job they do.”

Joe Di Paola, Unison Scottish Organiser for Local Government, said, “The employers have recently admitted they will not meet the job evaluation deadline that is a pre-requisite for local grading reviews.

“ Will they now accept they cannot delay dealing with the nursery nurses 15-year-old claim through this mechanism and deal with it at Scottish-level?”

Angela Lynes, leader of Unison’s negotiators, and chair of the union’s Industrial Action Committee, said, “This ballot result gives the lie to anyone who suggests this dispute is orchestrated by union officials.

“The nursery nurses have spoken. And spoken clearly. They deserve to have their pay increased and they want that increase to be applied across Scotland.”

Nursery nurses in Fife have backed taking indefinite strike action by more than four to one, it emerged today.

In the national ballot called by Unison to judge feelings about an all out-strike they voted 81% to 19% in favour.

Stevie Murray, Unison Fife branch chair said, “Fife’s nursery nurses deserve to have their pay increased and they want that increase to be applied across Scotland not a local deal.”

Unison Fife branch will now meet with the other Scottish branches to plan the indefinite action.