Union says put people at the heart of public service reform

Scotland's largest public sector union has called for a "bottom-up" approach in the future delivery of public services.

Unison said staff and service users should be at the heart of public service delivery, not just through consultation but by working together in genuine partnership.

In its submission to the Christie Commission, which is looking at the future of public services, the union set out five key public service principles - democracy, investment, fairness, excellence and partnership.

Unison Scottish secretary Mike Kirby said: "The defining difference between public and private services is democracy and it is democratic structures that will make public services responsive to the needs of those who use and pay for them.

"It's vital that the public are able to participate in the decision-making processes about the areas in which they live, and staff in the services they deliver."