Siptu members at a major Tesco supplier have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.
Staff at Keelings Distribution are in dispute with management on a range of issues including the ratio of contract employees to full time employees and absenteeism policy.
Keelings Distribution is part of the Keelings Logistic Solution Group which, in conjunction with Tesco Ireland, manages the largest chilled food retail-distribution centre in the country.
It employs up to 400 people at its plant in Ballymun, Dublin.
"Despite our best efforts to resolve the issues in dispute at local level with the Keelings Group, we were left with no alternative but to ballot for industrial action," said Siptu branch organiser Pat Ward.
"Siptu will now apply for sanction for industrial action and establish a disputes committee . . . as soon as sanction is received we will serve 14 days' notice on Keelings," he added.
The strike will begin to affect the supply of chilled foods to supermarket giant Tesco within days.
Mr Ward said the union would "continue to be available for meaning discussions with management" to resolve the issue.