Labour politicians have called for Dundee jobs to be given to Dundee people to help the city recover from its latest economic setback.
They issued a five-point plan for action which they say is needed more than ever since the grim news last week of major city construction company WH Brown going into receivership with the loss of 130 jobs.
But Dundee SNP administration leader Ken Guild said moves are being made to help the city, and he dismissed the Labour demands as ”a simplistic wish list.”
He added: ”If it was that simple to take the sort of action they are calling for, it would have been done a long time ago.”
The demise of the 42-year-old building company and the blow to the hopes of its tradesmen and apprentices sparked the Labour call.
It followed recent figures showing rising unemployment in the city, a situation at odds with Finance Sceretary John Swinney’s recent claim that Scotland’s economy is improving.
The health of an area’s construction trade has a significant bearing on the rest of the local economy every £1 spent generates another £2.84 and Labour are concerned about the wider implications of the WH Brown’s collapse.
The party unveiled five demands:
Start construction immediately on schools and other planned infrastructure Guarantee that procurement plans start to benefit local jobs through a radical community benefit approach Come clean on the status of long-promised renewables jobs for Dundee Guarantee Dundee has priority for any new funds indentified for infrastructure investment Publish an urgent plan for growth and employment for Dundee.
Labour MSP Jenny Marra said: ”John Swinney says that the Scottish economy is improving but all the indicators show that Dundee is suffering more than other parts of Scotland. We need an urgent plan for jobs. We needed it years ago and we can’t wait any longer.”
Dundee Labour group leader Kevin Keenan stated: ‘The city council have to start spending city money to get the economy moving. We should be supporting local firms by starting planned construction projects earlier.
“Dundee people are suffering without work and I see no sign of action from the SNP.”
Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern considered the SNP are right to criticise the Tory-led government at Westminster but cannot escape the blame.
“For five years now they have undermined the Scottish construction sector and the recent closures in our city are the fruits of John Swinney’s decisions. I worked in the construction industry for 25 years and my old colleagues tell me they have never seen it so bad. They feel that Dundee contracts should mean jobs for Dundee firms and therefore Dundee people.”
Mr Guild responded: “The schools projects are proceeding through the Scottish Futures Trust and are on line. With renewables jobs we are dealing with multi-national companies who set their own agendas not the government’s or the council’s.
“Labour seem to have produced a wish list but very little practical suggeetsions about how we achieve the demands. We have been working very successfully with a number of agencies to bring jobs to Dundee.”
He endorsed the call to give Dundee jobs to Dundee people to help the local economy but stressed the council must meet value for money laws in the award of contracts. If two similar quotes are received the council is permitted to grant the one they consider most beneficial to the city, but must be able to demonstrate their reasoning.
“This is already happening,” he explained. “We awarded the contract for Dundee House, our offices in North Lindsay Street, to a main contractor who employed many local people and on Friday we awarded McAlpine a contract for the next stage of the road realignment on the central waterfront because of the number of modern apprentices they have promised to deliver.”