John Swinney has been urged to drop his "hokey cokey" approach to public sector reform and offer "clarity" to workers worried about losing their jobs.
Roz Foyer, the STUC general secretary, said the First Minister should use his set-piece speech at the SNP conference later this week to give more detail on what his proposals will mean for Scots.
Swinney has said he wants to see fewer NHS health boards and local authorities across the country as his Government struggles to plug a £5billion blackhole in its finances by 2030.
Concerns over lack of detail
But opposition parties and unions have been left concerned by a lack of detail over what is being proposed - and whether the reforms will ultimately lead to compulsory redundancies for thousands of public sector workers.
SNP members will gather in Aberdeen from Thursday for their party conference and Foyer - Scotland's most senior trade unionist - has urged the FM to "seize the moment".
It comes after Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra last week warned that Swinney's plans risk causing a "decade of distraction" at a time of a national housing emergency and rising numbers of deaths from drugs.
Union chief's call for action
Foyer said: "The First Minister has the opportunity to seize the moment and correct what can be charitably termed as ‘mixed messages’ on the Scottish Government’s public service reform agenda."
"A hokey cokey approach to the number of councils, health boards and the public sector workforce headcount serves no community nor constituency."
"In lieu of clarity, workers are being left in limbo. They’re unsure on whether their jobs, services or even their councils will survive the bonfire of the quangos."
"It’s little wonder that confusion is reigning given the Scottish Government cannot decide for themselves whether their no compulsory redundancies approach does, in fact, mean no compulsory redundancies."
Workers 'shouldn't pay the price'
Foyer added: "Workers are clear: they didn’t cause a £5 billion black hole in the public finances – they shouldn’t be the ones paying for it, neither through cuts nor compulsory redundancies."
"The First Minister should instead set out how we can end the scandal of the £3 billion outsourcing drain in our public services, propping up the profits and balance sheets of private companies instead of reinvesting in our public infrastructure."
"With prices rising on the leckie meters and at the petrol pumps, allowing workers to be ripped off even further without government intervention in the energy market is inexcusable."
"While many of the powers lie at Westminster, with no punch pulled at the lack of action from UK Labour Government ministers, SNP politicians must be bold and realise the potential at their fingertips to revive their pledge for a publicly owned energy company, providing the much-needed assistance on the cost-of-living crisis workers crave."
"There is a moment of opportunity for the First Minister to show the ambition required to improve our public services and get workers onside. He must not let it pass by."
