The Scottish TUC slammed at the weekend the optimistic spin put on recent labour market figures by SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney.

It said that zero-hours contracts had doubled in number and that there were 100,000 fewer full-time jobs than before the 2008 financial crash.

STUC economist Stephen Boyd said the minister “should really know better” and that there was a “long way to travel” before recovery was achieved.