Date: Wed 30 June 2010

UNISON warns budget cuts put over 130,000 Scottish jobs at risk in public and private sectors

UNISON has warned that Scotland can expect to lose more than 130,000 jobs by 2015 as a result of the Con-Dem budget. Leaked Treasury figures suggest at least 50,000 jobs in the public sector and 60,000 in the private sector are at risk in Scotland from planned public spending cuts.

Dave Watson, UNISON Scottish Organiser, said:
"This confirms the argument we have been making - along with a growing number of economic commentators in Scotland - that the private sector will be badly affected both through the loss of government contracts and from the knock-on impact of lower public spending.

"We already knew that tens of thousands of public sector jobs were under threat in Scotland as direct result of the Con-Dem budget. We had estimated about 40,000. It is now clear that the Treasury expects well over half a million public sector jobs cut across the UK - this would mean more than 50,000 in Scotland.

"And the losses in the private sector will be even worse - more than 60,000 private sector jobs would go in Scotland, on these Treasury figures."

A confidential Treasury estimate leaked to the Guardian* shows that the government expects job losses of 500,000-600,000 jobs in the public sector, and 600,000-700,000 in the private sector across the UK by 2015, as a result of the public spending cuts announced in last week's budget.

Dave Watson said:
"In fact, our estimate of 0.75 private sector jobs going for every 1 public sector job loss now appears to be an underestimate. The Treasury model clearly assumes at least 1 for 1, something that was previously described as 'scaremongering'.

"Perhaps not surprisingly the Chancellor decided not to reveal these facts in this budget. Obviously 'openness and transparency' doesn't run to telling the real truth about the misery spending cuts will have on workers in the public and private sector. "

ends

* Link to Guardian article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/29/budget-job-losses-unemployment-austerity

For Further Information Please Contact:
Dave Watson, Scottish Organiser 07958 122 409 (m)
Malcolm Burns, Communications Officer 0141 342 2877 (o) 07958 063 182 (m)
Fiona Montgomery, Communications Officer 0141 342 2877 (o) 07908 672 890 (m)

Stay in touch with UNISON Scotland's latest news releases on our website http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/index.html and frequent updates on our blog http://unison-scotland.blogspot.com/

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