The Scottish Government has split along party lines on strikes as Green MSPs refused to cross a picket line at Holyrood.
Civil servants are among the thousands of workers to have walked out today as part of a long-running row over pay and conditions.
Members of the PCS union picketed the entrance to the Scottish Parliament and encouraged parliamentarians and journalists not to enter the Holyrood building in support.
The Greens, who signed a power-sharing deal with the SNP in 2021, said none of its MSPs will work in the parliament today.
But the Nationalists said the business of Holyrood would "continue as normal.”
Labour previously failed in an attempt to suspend Wednesday’s parliamentary business and move items for discussion to Tuesday and Thursday.
Civil servants, higher education staff and teachers are among those to have walked out on strike across the country.
The day has been branded "walkout Wednesday" because of the scale of the action – the largest such protest in the UK for decades.
The PCS strike has led to the Holyrood building being closed to visitors.
Courts and tribunals are being disrupted, but those due to attend court on Wednesday are still advised to do so by the Crown Office.
Roz Foyer, general secretary of the STUC, said while there is a “clear difference” between the Scottish and UK governments in their handling of the strikes, more action is needed from Holyrood ministers.
Hitting out at the Conservative Government at Westminster, the union boss said: “At UK level we have a billionaire that refuses to even talk to the trade unions.”
She added: "Up here at least we have a Government that is willing to get in the room and talk, but we still have some very serious, outstanding disputes.
"Our teachers, our civil servants and others are still waiting for a decent pay offer to be put on the table. So we need less talk and more action now from the Scottish Government."
Speaking from a picket line outside the Scottish Parliament, PCS industrial officer Joy Dunn said around 11,000 workers in Scottish public services are out on strike.
She said: "The messages I’ve been getting through from my colleagues across the country is that the strike is pretty solid.
"People are out in their droves and they’re sending a very clear message to both the UK and the Scottish government that they are feeling a cost-of-living crisis quite hard and they want their pay increased to a level they can live on".
She called for the UK Government to stop being “intransigent” on negotiations and put more money on the table.
Dunn continued: “Our members don’t want to be on strike, this is a last resort. They would rather be inside the buildings on a cold day like this than outside the buildings.
"But we have caused disruption in the museums, galleries, the court service, the Crown Office, the Scottish Government itself, job centres and the Ministry of Justice."
An SNP spokesman said: "While the SNP recognises and respects the right to strike, the business of government and parliament will continue as normal".
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