Date: 13 January 2006

UNISON challenges Tories - public services encourage economic growth

UNISON, Scotland's largest public service union today challenged the Scottish Tories' enterprise spokesperson, Murdo Fraser either to provide evidence that public service expenditure 'strangled' economic growth, or to stop asserting this.

Dave Watson, UNISON's Scottish Organiser (Policy) said "Murdo Fraser trots out the same line day after day, presumably on the basis of 'tell a big story and tell it often'. The line is that public expenditure 'crowds out' private business. No matter that no-one ever provides any evidence to support this, he continues to mouth this, and some in the media parrot his utterances."

"In fact, the public sector provides the transport, education, training, health and housing that enable private industry to continue. Public service workers purchase the goods produced by the private sector and public authorities also buy materials and services from them. Unlike Mr. Fraser, we have evidence that backs up our assertions.

"We need to move beyond the Tories kneejerk reaction to attack the public sector at every opportunity. It is time they understood how the public and private sector inter-relate."

ENDS

For Further Information Please Contact: Dave Watson (Scottish Organiser) 07958 122 409 (m) Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)

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