Commenting on the budget announced today (Tuesday), UNISON’s Scottish Secretary Lilian Macer, said:
“Today’s budget is a bad day for local services and deals a further financial blow to local councils who are already struggling to balance the books and to deliver the vital services our communities rely on.
“Our public services are on their knees due to years of underinvestment and the Scottish government’s council tax freeze will be a disaster for local services. We need to see investment in public services and a council tax freeze stops investment in public services, in schools and in the NHS.
“The Scottish government had the chance to make big choices to raise more money for Scotland’s public services but while the measures on income tax are welcome, much more could and should have been done. We still have a government boasting of low business taxes at the same time that they are delaying urgent improvements to public services.
“The Deputy First Minister spoke of cutting the public service workforce – people need to be aware that job cuts mean service cuts. What communities across Scotland need is investment, not abandonment.
“While we welcome investment in the NHS, the Scottish government failed to say how this would be targeted to tackling the staffing crisis and ensuring proper funding so the safe staffing act can make the improvements the NHS so desperately needs.
“Given the Scottish government’s commitment to become a fair work nation by 2025, it’s concerning that there was no mention of fair work anywhere in the budget statement, particularly in social care, a sector in crisis.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
UNISON is Scotland’s largest public services union.