Staff at FÁS are to ballot on industrial action over the agency's policy on decentralisation.
Their union, Siptu, accused the training and jobs agency of coercing members into signing up for decentralisation by restricting head-office promotions to people willing to relocate to its planned new headquarters in Birr, Co Offaly.
FÁS is due to move to the town in 2009 as part of the Government's decentralisation programme.
Only seven of its 400-odd head-office staff have expressed an interest in the move through the central applications facility set up as part of the programme.
However, 51 staff have committed to the move since the agency introduced a policy of requiring all new recruits, as well as those applying for promotion, to sign up to decentralisation.
The Labour Court found last month that the agency's policy of promoting only staff who were prepared to relocate was a breach of agreed industrial relations.
However it said management and Siptu should refer the matter to the Government's decentralisation implementation committee for further discussions.
Siptu FÁS branch organiser Greg Ennis said the agency was continuing its policy of linking promotions to decentralisation in spite of the court's recommendation. As a result, members would be balloted on industrial action up to and including strike.
"The Government is entitled to decentralise services, even if it makes no business sense, but exercises in political expediency cannot be bulldozed through in this way regardless of the human consequences."
A FÁS spokesman said the agency had been in contact with the decentralisation implementation committee, as recommended by the court, and had not been told to change its policy on promotions. Siptu's strike threat was premature given that decentralisation was "totally voluntary".
