The Teachers' Union of Ireland is to ballot 15,000 members in second level schools, further education colleges and Institutes of Technology on industrial action.
The executive committee of the union this afternoon decided to ballot on a range of industrial action measures, up to and including strike action, to oppose Government measures that would worsen teachers' working conditions.
General secretary, Peter MacMenamin said teachers and lecturers had already had their conditions of service "severely affected" as a result of education cutbacks introduced since last year and that they had suffered a pay cut in the form of the unilaterally imposed pension levy
"We acknowledge that we are living in difficult times, but any further pain must be spread among all those who can afford it, and not just public servants," Mr McMenamin said.
"Cuts to the education service are a direct attack on the most vulnerable children attempting to navigate a way through the system, and we will continue to highlight this forcefully in the coming weeks."
The TUI is to meet with the other teachers' unions in the coming days to develop its strategy for the coming weeks and months, Mr McMenamin said.
The union said it would encourage as many members as possible to take part in the Ictu regional protests on November 6th.
"The union has already informed the vocational principals' association of its plans in this regard. TUI will be seeking that management assist in enabling as many teachers as possible to take part in the protest, without any loss of service to students in schools."