Hopes of averting tomorrow's strike at Tesco rose after the deputy chairman of the Labour Court, Mr Kevin Duffy, called both sides to emergency talks in Sligo today.
Mr Duffy, who has been attending the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference in Bundoran has been using the opportunity to have informal talks with both sides.
He said last night he felt there had been enough progress to hold talks. The dispute threatens to close all 76 branches of the supermarket in the Republic.
Mandate and SIPTU decided to escalate the action following Tesco's decision on Tuesday to withdraw its pay offer while the threat of strike remained.
A spokesman for Tesco said yesterday it would be "entirely inappropriate" for staff to ballot on pay proposals with strike action pending. A review of the company's pay proposals was contingent on the unions terminating their industrial action.
Meanwhile other stores expect another windfall of Tesco customers tomorrow. Tesco's main competitor, Dunnes Stores, extended opening hours last week and reported significant extra business.
Yesterday Mandate's national industrial officer, Mr John Douglas, condemned the company's decision to withdraw its pay offer. He said Tesco had promised the Labour Court last week it would present a formal offer to the unions.
SIPTU's national industrial secretary, Mr John Kane, accused the company of "duplicity" and said it was no wonder Tesco's industrial relations were in disarray.
The company views the unions' claims as a clear breach of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. It believes further pay increases will compromise the strengthened industrial peace clause of the revised agreement. It also believes support for the strike will decline further if the dispute worsens.