Health serviceunions have asked the National Implementation Body (NIB) to intervene in a row over Health Service Executive (HSE) cutbacks designed to tackle a €245 million financial deficit.
The unions and health service management last night met with the NIB, which is the main trouble-shooting mechanism under the social partnership process.
The unions claim the HSE breached several agreements in introducing the cutbacks without consultation. Kevin Callinan, national secretary of Impact, one of the unions involved in the move, said that without any intervention a very serious situation was about to develop, from both a patient care and industrial relations perspective.
He said the unions had left it up to the NIB to become involved in any manner it saw fit.
Health service unions representing about 100,000 staff, have urged members not to co-operate with HSE plans to reduce expenditure.
These plans involve a temporary ban on recruitment as well as some bed closures. The unions have warned they are considering work stoppages and public demonstrations in protest at the cutbacks.
Mr Callinan said the unions wanted to see the cost-cutting plans reversed.
On Monday, the chief executive of the HSE, Prof Brendan Drumm, said he was bewildered and taken aback at the unions' plans.
Prof Drumm said the HSE would minimise any impact on patient care and that this would "demand a lot of flexibility from our staff".