More than 30,000 public sector workers are taking strike action on Monday to protest at changes to redundancy terms.

For the first time Scottish Parliament staff, from security workers to committee clerks, will also strike, according to the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

The 48-hour strike will affect public services including courts, jobcentres, tax offices, and border controls.

Across the UK a total of 270,000 civil and public servants will walk out.

However, the strikes have been criticised because only around one in five of PCS members actually voted for the strike.  A ballot had a turn out of 32%, with one in three voting against a strike.

A PCS spokesman said: "The dispute is over changes to the civil service compensation scheme which will see staff robbed of up to a third of their entitlements and see loyal civil and public servants lose tens of thousands of pounds if they are forced out of a job.

"The union fears that the Government wants to make it easier for whoever wins the general election to cut low paid civil and public servants on the cheap."

Rallies will take place in Glasgow and Dundee and there will be picket lines at Edinburgh Castle, museums and galleries, libraries and the Scottish government.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Loyal civil and public servants won't stand by and allow the Government to cut jobs on the cheap. Those on strike today deliver services that touch our everyday lives from the cradle to the grave.

"Under these imposed changes, they face losing up to a third of their entitlements and tens of thousands of pounds if they are forced out of their job.

"The Government is tearing up the contracts of low paid civil and public servants whilst it claims it can do nothing about bankers' bonuses because of contractual obligations.

"The Government need to recognise that slashing entitlements and cutting jobs on the cheap will damage public services and reach an agreement that protects existing members' entitlements."

PCS Scottish secretary Lynn Henderson said: "The civil service compensation scheme affects members working for UK and Scottish Government departments. While our battle is with the UK Government, Scottish ministers must also break their silence.

"We stand with workers across the public sector who will not accept job cuts on the cheap whether they come from Gordon Brown, David Cameron or Alex Salmond."