The trade union representing lower-paid civil servants is to recommend to members that they should reject the proposed new national pay deal.
The executive of the Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU) made the decision by a majority of one vote at the meeting today.
General secretary of the CPSU Blair Horan had proposed that the executive should ballot members without a recommendation.
It is understood that the executive was concerned that the pay deal, which involved increases of 6 per cent phased over 21 months, would not match the level of inflation.
The CPSU executive was also understood to be concerned at the 11-month pay pause contained in the deal and the linkage of general increases to modernisation in the public service.
The Government and social partners reached an outline agreement on the pay deal earlier this month, proposing a 6 per cent pay rise over 21 months with a final 1/2 per cent rise for lower paid workers at the end of that period.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) will hold a special conference on November 17th to decide whether to accept the agreement.
However, small businesses and the construction industry have already signalled they cannot afford to pay the 6 per cent pay rise set out in the draft agreement.