Unison Scotland has joined the election battle

Unison Scotland plans to spend some �80,000 to place adverts in the press warning of the ills of using the private sector to run public services.

The union will also be sending a magazine to its 150,000 members calling on them to raise the issues of public services with candidates standing for the Scottish Parliament and local council elections.

Matt Smith, Unison's Scottish secretary, said: "We are pleased with the support we have been getting from different groups for our positive proposals to revitalise public services.

"We also noted the results of the BBC poll earlier this month, which indicated that private running of schools and hospitals was the government's most unpopular policy.

'Important election'

"This fits in exactly with the kind of response we have been getting over the years, and we will be pointing this out to all candidates."

Unison will also be raising the issue at the STUC's Annual Congress next week in Inverness.

Matt Smith said: "It is appropriate that Scotland's trade unionists are meeting to discuss their concerns before this important election.

"We will be raising the issue of public services, and I am convinced that this will be the primary concern of the STUC.

"It is because so many Scots value their public services that get the kind of poll results the BBC have obtained. Trade unionists are even more concerned to defend and revitalise public services."