The carriers are being built on the Clyde and at Rosyth First Minister Alex Salmond and his political rivals are due to meet Defence Secretary Liam Fox in their fight to save defence jobs in Scotland.
Mr Salmond and the leaders of the three main opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament fear the cancellation of orders for two Royal Navy aircraft carriers would threaten the future of Scottish shipbuilding.
Their joint submission to the UK strategic defence review also warns against big reductions in military personnel.
They will make the case for retaining jobs, bases and orders in talks with Mr Fox in London.
However, union bosses were furious, saying they have been excluded from the talks.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) claimed it had been snubbed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by not being included.
According to a spokesman for the first minister, their request for trade union and community representatives to attend the meeting was refused by the MoD.
STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: “The defence secretary’s decision to exclude trade unions from the meeting amounts to a disgraceful and brazen snub to a loyal, dedicated and highly productive workforce whose aim was simply to contribute to a mature discussion about the future of their jobs.”
He said the MoD’s reasons were “clear to no-one”, even though it had seemed likely just two weeks ago that they would be involved.
Mr Smith added: “Workers in defence industries may legitimately conclude that their employer, the defence secretary and his department, cares nothing about their interests or views.”
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However, the MoD said the request for a meeting about defence issues came from the leaders of the Scottish political parties and not from the trade unions.
A spokeswoman said: “Trade unions have already met with defence ministers as part of the consultation process for the UK Strategic Defence and Security Review.”
Mr Salmond’s spokesman said: “It’s regrettable that the Ministry of Defence has not acceded to the wish of the joint campaign to have broader representation in terms of trade union and community representation, but nonetheless the meeting will go ahead and it is a key platform to argue Scotland’s case and there is no doubt that the more united Scotland’s voice, then the stronger it will be.
“We’ve got an unprecedented joint campaign in Scotland in defence of jobs and skills and the first minister and the other party leaders will be mounting the strongest possible case with the defence secretary.”
Scotland’s defence industry generates an estimated £1.8bn turnover and employs more than 12,600 people, excluding jobs in MoD facilities.
It is feared that any downgrading of an aircraft carriers programme could cost thousands of jobs at shipyards on the Clyde and at Rosyth.
Concerns include the cancellation of one or more of the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, the Type 26 Frigate Design contract and closure or “significant reduction” in military bases and sites in Scotland.
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