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 consor-tia - 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.
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