Redundancy talks: Confusion reigns as conflicting reports emerge

Unions and councils are denying reports that talks between themselves and the Scottish Government have resulted in a deal guaranteeing no compulsory redundancies in the public sector in Scotland.

The reported agreement was to run until January 2012, in return for pay constraints and other cost-cutting measures.

Derek Brownlee MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth, said:

"There appears to be a great deal of confusion and some bad blood emerging as we get conflicting reports of progress.

"Everyone would like to avoid compulsory redundancies over the next few years but many people will wonder whether it is possible. On every major issue of public sector reform - with the exception it seems of redundancies - the SNP Government has said that it will wait for the Christie Commission to report later this year.

"If the SNP Government can avoid making compulsory redundancies while making the savings we need to as a country, then it will have yet again proved that Alex Salmond's scaremongering on what would happen if we tried to live within our means is just more overblown rhetoric from the First Minister."

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