Convener of education Fraser Macpherson said, “The dispute is causing disruption to children and parents and it is inexcusable that vulnerable children with additional support needs are being left high and dry by Unison’s refusal to exempt them from the dispute. If Unison were to allow five or six nursery nurses back to work, we could provide an appropriate level of support for these children.

“Consequently I am calling on Unison to end the misery for these individual families and exempt their children from the dispute.

The city council also again called for striking nursery nurses to return to work to allow local negotiations to take place in a bid to end their action.

Councillor Macpherson said, “It is not in the interests of striking nursery nurses to stay out indefinitely.

“The city council has made it clear all along that it is willing to negotiate with Unison towards a local settlement immediately there is a return to work.”

However, Unison local branch secretary Rory Malone said the nursery nurses had always made a provision for children with special needs.

“Kingspark is exempt from the strike and has a full quota of nursery nurses and other children who need additional support can go there,” he said.

“It is something the nursery nurses in Dundee decided to do themselves,” he added.