Civil servants in Northern Ireland and the British government were on a collision course tonight over a pay dispute.
Members of the North's public service union NIPSA planning to intensify industrial action were warned to consider the implications of their action.
Thousands of members of the union are gearing up for a one-day strike at the start of next month, and two work stoppages to allow workers to attend mass rallies in the preceding two weeks.
Civil Service management warned of pay being docked and people being temporarily removed from work without pay if they refused reasonable management requests to carry out duties during action short of a strike.
The new industrial action follows a one-day strike in December and ongoing overtime ban.
The rallies will coincide with the start of selected and extended strike action in key areas, said NIPSA.
The areas facing extended strikes are: Social Security Offices, the Water Service, driver and vehicle testing centres, meat inspectors, industrial and employment tribunals.
The union today announced plans for work stoppages for mass rallies on Friday January 23rd and a week later on January 30th.