The Unite trade union has said it is to ballot its members working for the HSE and local authorities over industrial action in opposition to the public sector pension levy.
"Our members are furious at the blatant unfairness of this levy," said Brian Gormley, Unite regional officer.
"The pension for a craft worker in this sector with 25 years service would amount to little more than €80 per week and any levy imposed by the Government is totally unjustified," he said.
Mr Gormley said public sector workers would not allow themselves to be "scapegoated for the corrupt and dishonest practices of wealthy bankers and cowboy developers".
Yesterday, the Civil and Public Sector Union, which represents about 13,000 lower paid staff in the civil service, voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action next Thursday.
About 4,000 lower-paid civil servants yesterday staged what is expected to be the first of a number of union demonstrations against the Government’s new pension levy for staff in the public sector.