North Lanarkshire nursery staff having 'sleepless nights' over future
Julie works at a nursery in Coatbridge and is exclusively telling us she feels like she is being treated like a number.
An early years worker in Coatbridge says she is having sleepless nights over her future with North Lanarkshire Council months after being told about job cuts.
NLC9 workers were due to walk out this morning in an ongoing row, but strike action has been paused as talks continue.
READ MORE: Early years workers in North Lanarkshire asked to re-train or take pay cut
"It's who I am"
Julie has over 23 years of service and exclusively told Greatest Hits Radio: "This job is embedded in my life.
"It's who I am, what I am known for and I don't know where else I could possibly turn.
"The children will bear the brunt of this and they have already been through a tough time with the pandemic and we are working really hard on their developmental and emotional needs."
Earlier this year, NLC9 staff were told they would be moved down to NLC7 unless they applied for another role within the local authority to ringfence their current salaries.
At the moment, they are being offered the chance to apply for a "leadership' role within nurseries which comes with more responsibilities or be redeployed elsewhere.
"None of the jobs on offer match my skillset"
Julie added: "These children love us and we work hard to build a trusting relationship with their families.
"We can identify children who need more support, we can reach out to other agencies and refer them by speaking to the parents.
"None of the jobs on offer match my skillset - we really want to stay on a grade 9 and be rewarded for our loyalty."
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said, "The council is continuing constructive talks with the Trade Unions with both committed to joint working and ongoing dialogue."