UNION members will today be urged to reject independence to "retain solidarity" with workers across the UK.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay will appeal to members of the PCS civil service union to support a No vote in September's referendum.

The union, which has 30,000 members in Scotland, will decide whether to support a Yes or No vote, or stay neutral, at a meeting of branch delegates in Glasgow.

Some insiders are confident the union will become the first in Scotland to back independence. However, there is also substantial support within the union - which represents many UK Government workers - to stay neutral in the debate.

Mr Findlay, a member of the PCS, will tell delegates a No vote would still bring change to Scotland.

He said: "Scottish Labour will be setting out a clear vision for making Scotland a fairer, healthier and more progressive country, whilst retaining solidarity with working people across the UK.

"The SNP's White Paper pretends you can create Scandinavian public services on Texan levels of taxation - this is plainly nonsense and no one, least of all trade unionists, should be fooled by it."

In her speech urging union members to back Yes, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will say: "Whatever else happens today, it seems unlikely that PCS will back No - which we in the Yes camp can take great encouragement from.

"In less than seven months' time, the people of Scotland will have the best opportunity we will ever have to build a better country.

"In the independence White Paper, we set out the benefits for working people if the gains of devolution are extended to all areas of government in an independent Scotland."