Members will begin the campaign with a stoppage starting at 11am followed by a work to rule and work to contract. The strike is a demonstration of the frustration felt by staff that, despite the involvement of the conciliation service ACAS, 80% of the union’s members at the college have been offered no increase in salary from the due settlement date of 1 October 2002.

Prospect negotiator Alan Denney said: "Our members have called the action at times which will minimize the impact on the college’s students. However, members are clear that a message needs to be sent to SAC management that they expect to be rewarded fairly for the work that they have put in to improve the college’s position as a business over the last few years.

"The full Prospect negotiating team stands ready to recommence negotiations, but this has to be on the understanding that the existing offer is not acceptable."

SAC supports the development of agricultural industries through the provision of research, training and advisory services. Current projects include an investigation into methods to stop the spread of e-coli, and disease surveillance services to monitor BSE and scrapie.

The action will involve SAC sites in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Auchincruive and will also affect its 36 veterinary and advisory centers and research farms across Scotland. Services provided to the agricultural community and veterinary practices will be unavailable during the strike action, and curtailed while the work to rule is in force when staff will work precisely to the terms of their contracts.

Said Denney: "The goodwill among members to provide additional work free of charge to the college will be withdrawn during the period of the dispute. While Prospect has provided an assurance that animal welfare will not be compromised during the action, this does not guarantee that non-emergency procedures and protocols, where no animal welfare issue is involved, will proceed."

Members voted to take industrial action in a ballot in December. If the dispute is unresolved notice of a further strike on 22 January has already been served.