Workers in the care, community and voluntary sector are to escalate their campaign of industrial action as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
Union members are to be balloted for industrial action commencing during September and spreading country wide thereafter.
The campaign is supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, SIPTU, Fórsa and the INMO.
Unions say that most of their members in the sector have not had a pay rise in 14 years and have accused the Government of failing to engage on the issue.
As part of the campaign, SIPTU members employed at the Irish Wheelchair Association staged a one-day strike on 5 July.
The following day, SIPTU members employed in 19 community schemes across nine counties went on strike.
The Irish Wheelchair Association is a 'Section 39' organisation contracted to provide services on behalf of the HSE for a funding grant in accordance with Section 39 of the Health Act 2004.
The Department of Health says that because Section 39 organisations are privately owned, setting pay rates for their staff is not a matter for the Government.
Unions insist, however, that it is the responsibility of the State to ensure that the sector is properly funded.
"Care and community sector workers are struggling to make ends meet in the face of a worsening cost of living crisis while also seeking to maintain services for some of our most vulnerable citizens," said SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Organiser, Adrian Kane.
"Unfortunately, the Government, which controls the funding of these organisations and so has ultimate control over whether the wages of workers can be increased, has failed to positively respond to their demand for pay justice," he added.
