Trade unions should bid for welfare-to-work contracts to help councils deliver devolved employment programmes, Scottish secretary, Jim Murphy, has told The MJ. Mr Murphy exclusively revealed that senior ministers had explored the potential for trade unions to form part of future sub-regional welfare consortia – involving local authorities – delivering programmes to get local residents off benefits and into work. The idea, which would draw on unions' employment market and skills expertise, has been put to union leaders, and some have been receptive. However, Mr Murphy stressed discussions were embryonic and no union has yet adopted the idea. Last month, Mr Murphy, a former welfare minister, helped launch pilot schemes to trial new welfare-to-work initiatives, including a project co-ordinated by Glasgow City Council to reinvest incapacity benefit savings into local welfare programmes. Mr Murphy said: ‘If we are going to properly devolve welfare, then local authorities have an enormous role. These pilots could become the basis of the future welfare state. ‘I'd like to see trade unions get involved. I'd like to see trade unions take on contracts to get people back to work, rather than just parts of the voluntary sector.' Such a move would require a stable relationship between all tiers of government and the unions. But the influential Public and Commercial Services union, representing jobcentre staff, is currently battling government plans to privatise some jobseeker's services. Richard Exell, welfare officer at the TUC, said: ‘It's possible trade unions could assist devolved welfare programmes through skills training and in-work initiatives. But it's unlikely they would get involved in work formally undertaken by Jobcentre Plus.' Commenting on the unions' training expertise, Phillip Mind, LGA senior policy consultant, said: ‘In some sectors, they should be able to put forward a strong [contract] offer, based on their detailed knowledge.'
