Eighty staff have walked out in Glasgow

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) said the strike was "highly regrettable" and insisted it cannot improve on the deal.

The stoppage by Unison staff is hitting areas such as security and the collection of council tax, rent and parking fines.

In Glasgow, the walkout by 80 staff led to the closure of the district court and the cancellation of three council committees.

The court closure led to the abandonment of more than 200 cases, ranging from assault to car crime, and it is thought some of the cases could end up being shelved.

Thirty-one Unison staff are on strike in Aberdeen, including workers who collect council house rents.

In East Lothian, refuse collection services have been disrupted with no bins in the area being emptied

Unions divided

Unison, which represents more than half of Scotland's 130 council workers, said it was seeking a 5% increase to bring Scottish workers in line with those south of the border.

A split emerged last week after the GMB and T&G unions accepted the 6.1% increase.

Unison - which has more members than the other two - is pressing ahead with industrial action to try to win a better deal.

Joe Di Paola: "The unions have agreed to differ"

Joe Di Paola, the union's Scottish local government organiser, said: "I think we've got to take account of the fact that the GMB and T&G members took a view on the offer that employers had made and they found it acceptable.

"By the same token the Unison members, and they're the majority of the local authority members in Scotland, have taken the view that the offer's not acceptable to them, so I think we've agreed to differ on whether or not the offer is acceptable."

The pay negotiations have been going on for a year, and seem no nearer resolution.

Cosla vice-president Pat Watters said the organisation was at a loss to know where to go from here.

He stressed again that there will be no improvement to the offer.

Service cuts

However, while Mr Di Paola said "there was always an opportunity for further talks", he stressed that the action on Wednesday was the "first wave" and more mini-stoppages could follow.

Scotland's councils improved their initial 2.5% offer after two one-day stoppages on 29 August and 20 September.

The Scottish Executive has already increased the money available for local government after councils complained they would have to make further cuts to services to fund pay awards.

• East Ayrshire - not targeted

• East Renfrew - 12 environmental/planning building control staff and committee clerks out. Slower service.

• Dundee - seven leisure and parks staff out. Minimal disruption to the public.

• North Lanarkshire - seven finance department staff out.

• South Lanarkshire - 34 people out: 14 car park attendants, four treasury management, 14 in social work finance. No effect on frontline services.

• Stirling - not targeted.

• West Dunbartonshire - 50 staff out. Private security firm brought in to staff the front desk. No effect on frontline services.