The meat plants blockaded by farmers faced a threat of industrial action yesterday from workers who were laid off within hours of the dispute beginning.
The 3,000 factory workers, who are members of SIPTU, decided to ballot for strike action if the meat factories did not indicate by 5 p.m. today that they would pay the workers' lost wages in full.
A statement from Mr Jack O'Connor, who heads SIPTU's midlands and south-east regions, said shop stewards at an emergency meeting in Dublin yesterday decided to pursue vigorously their compensation claim against the factories.
The shop stewards had authorised "officials to follow up on letters issued yesterday, which had warned that compensation for lost pay must be included as part of any settlement in the current row", he said.
Mr O'Connor said all the meat processors had been contacted immediately, informing them of the claim and warning that unless confirmation was received by 5 p.m. today that they intended to pay lost wages in full, ballots for strike action would begin immediately in any plants which had not complied.
"Subsequently, where strike action is decided on by ballot, proper notice will be given to the managements of all relevant plants as to when strike action will begin. Where workers are forced to resort to strike action, there will be no going back until compensation has been paid in full."
Mr O'Connor said that despite the Minister for Agriculture's intervention over the weekend, both sides were pursuing their separate interests, with total disregard for thousands of low-paid workers who have been laid off and were still without any wages.
"This is a travesty and we are left with no alternative now but to pursue a just outcome for our members," he concluded.