Labour leader Iain Gray has accused the SNP of being responsible for tens of thousands of lost jobs through “incompetence and mismanagement.”
The clash comes as an opinion poll out on Monday showed SNP popularity on the slide, with Labour well out in front on voting intentions for the Holyrood elections next May.
Mr Gray said voters were turning to Labour as the SNP presided over massive job cuts.
He said, “These figures are welcome on the back of the general election, but the only poll that counts is next May.
“But we know from speaking to people on the doorsteps during the general election they believe it’s Labour that stands up for up Scotland, not the Nationalists.
“They are unhappy with the SNP government and the Salmond slump that has led to loss of 30,000 jobs in the building industry.
“The SNP cuts have seen teachers numbers down by 2500 and over 5000 jobs to go in the NHS.
“These cuts are due to SNP incompetence and mismanagement. If the SNP are cutting now, voters ask themselves what it will be like in the tough times ahead.”
An SNP spokeswoman said, “With 11 months to go to the Holyrood election, Labour’s knee-jerk opposition and absurd calls for extra spending on everything will crumble under increased scrutiny, as will their refusal to accept the economic reality of the harsh public spending cuts from Westminster as a result of Labour’s own financial mismanagement.
“The SNP’s priority and pledge is supporting economic recovery and protecting public services… reinforcing the case for the Scottish Government and parliament gaining real economic powers and financial responsibility, and for the people having their say on Scotland’s future in a referendum.”
The TNS-BMRB survey puts Labour on 45% in the constituency vote and the SNP on 29%, down from a high of 45% two years ago.
This is the first poll to put the nationalists below their share of the vote when they won in 2007.
For regional list voting intention, Labour has 41% of the share, 13 points clear of the SNP. It marks a reverse from 2008, when the SNP was 12 points clear of its closest rivals.
Support for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats continues to flatline, with the Tories on 13% for constituencies and 12% for regional voting. The Lib Dems dipped from 12% to 11% for constituencies but stayed at 12% in the regional vote.
Chris Eynon, of TNS-BMRB, said the poll findings come on the back of Labour resurgence in Scotland from the general election.
“The formation of the coalition government at Westminster has led to Labour finding itself in opposition in both parliaments, which may be increasing the desire for Labour to return to government at Holyrood,” he said.
“Interestingly, the coalition appears to have had no effect so far neither positive nor negative on the fortunes of either the Conservatives or Liberal Democrats north of the border, which continue to flatline.
“While there had been some suggestions that some Lib Dems in Scotland might be alienated by their party consorting with the Conservatives nationally, this does not appear to be the case so far.”
Mr Eynon said the figures would be “of significant concern” to the SNP.
“While the general election results might be put down to the fact that the SNP historically performs less well in Westminster elections, it is clear from these figures that the malaise runs much deeper, with increasing disillusionment or disaffection with the party more generally,” he said.
“With less than a year until the next Holyrood election, these figures will be encouraging for Labour and of significant concern to the SNP leadership.”