UP TO 200 nursery nurses could strike over low pay and conditions.

Unison members who work at 11 primary schools and three nurseries in the borough, have been locked in a pay dispute with Greenwich Council for the past two years.

Last January the council told Unison it would provide new pay proposals by September 2005 to properly match the role of a nursery nurse.

But the deadline was not met as the council was dealing with pay and conditions for teachers and council staff.

Unison is threatening to ballot for strike action if the council refuses to address the matter.

Nursery nurses are calling for their maximum pay to be changed from £16,620 per year to £21,258, in line with other boroughs.

Greenwich currently offers the lowest pay when compared with Lewisham, Hackney, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.

Unison branch secretary Onay Kasab says members are tired of waiting for action.

He said: "Nursery nurses have made clear enough is enough.

"We approached the employer more than two years ago to deal with this issue, yet nothing has been done.

"The employer's own system for evaluating jobs shows these workers are being underpaid.

"In effect their low wages are subsidising the service."

He added: "The message is clear. Either our members are paid for the role they carry out or we will move to ballot our members for industrial action.

"Most headteachers feel nursery nurse pay needs to be addressed."

The council says it has met with Unison and placed the issue on the schools' forum meeting agenda for Monday.

A spokesman added: "We will meet with Unison again after this date and hope we are able to resolve this issue.

"We are aiming to recommend to schools they implement changes in job descriptions, pay and terms and conditions from May 1 this year."

Nursery nurses could strike from the following schools and nurseries: Charlton School, Charlton Park Road,Charlton; James Wolfe School, Randall Place, Greenwich; Millennium School, John Harrison Way, Greenwich; Kidbrooke School, Corelli Road, Kidbrooke; Gordon Primary, Earshall Road, Eltham; Willow Dean School, Welton Road, Plumstead; Abbey Wood School, Eynsham Drive, Abbey Wood; Eglinton School, Paget Rise, Woolwich; Greenacres School, Witherston Way, Eltham; Heronsgate School, Whinchat Road, Thamesmead; Mulgrave School, Macbean Street, Woolwich; Pound Park Nursery, Pound Park Road, Charlton; Rachel McMillan Nursery, Creek Road, Deptford, and Robert Owen Early Years Centre, Commerell Street, Greenwich.