Investment and healthy public sector key to manufacturing growth

The government must take urgent action to build investment and training strategies to halt the decline in manufacturing industry.

STUC delegates backed a call for long term support and 'a level playing field' to compete for contracts across Europe. Seconding the motion from Community, UNISON's John Stevenson warned against the myth that the public sector is 'crowding out' private industry.

He told delegates, "Public spending - public investment - stimulates the economy, creates contracts and creates jobs in the public and private sector."

He pointed to UNISON's Adding Value research on public spending in the Scottish economy and welcomed a newly published STUC discussion paper calling for long term strategies. We had no lessons to learn from those who promoted the 'crowding out' myth.

They were the same people who "for 13 years systematically decimated our manufacturing industry", said John. "The way forward is not cuts in the public sector but investment in skills, infrastructure and a thriving public sector".

He called for "investment in research and development and a level playing field for Scottish industry".

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