The industrial action in Fás over decentralisation is likely to spread to Enterprise Ireland and the Combat Poverty Agency, Siptu has warned.
The trade union said it appeared that staff in these Government agencies were being compelled to decentralise instead of being offered a choice.
Owen Reidy, the Siptu branch organiser for State agencies, said attempts were being made to compel certain Enterprise Ireland staff to relocate to Shannon. Staff who had been reassigned or promoted as a result of a voluntary early retirement scheme were being targeted for relocation.
Siptu also highlighted Enterprise Ireland's plan to centralise its Dublin-based staff in one location instead of four. According to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, Enterprise Ireland will have the right to break its lease on the new premises in Dublin's East Point after five years "in order to facilitate the relocation of 300 posts to Shannon".
Correspondence between the Department of Finance and Department of Enterprise says the estimated €39 million raised by the sale of Enterprise Ireland's Glasnevin premises could be partly used to fund a new premises in Shannon.
Amicus, the union which represents professional and technical staff, said its members would not "stand by and watch their current buildings and workplaces being sold from under their feet" to fund decentralisation.
Jerry Shanahan, Amicus national officer, said it was time "for once and for all to review and remove the State agencies from the decentralisation proposals as the staffs concerned have voted overwhelmingly not to move". Siptu also claimed the Department of Social and Family Affairs was insisting that future employment contracts at Combat Poverty would include a clause making it a condition of employment to relocate to Monaghan.
"That's an unacceptable clause," he said. "In both organisations there is no appetite for decentralisation among the employees. The Government's decentralisation plan is now in disarray right across the State agency sector but it seems as if they are intent on compelling employees to decentralise by manipulating situations in certain key organisations."
Mr Reidy said Siptu would continue to engage in talks to resolve these issues, "but we will have no hesitation in considering a ballot for industrial action to protect our members if such talks fail to deliver a satisfactory outcome".
A spokesman for Enterprise Ireland said the agency was not "in dispute with Siptu and we have not been informed of any industrial action".
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Family Affairs said she could not comment until the Siptu statement was studied in full. Siptu members in Fás are holding stoppages in the coming weeks over plans to transfer 400 Fás staff to Birr in Co Offaly.
On Thursday, a half-day stoppage will be held at six Fás centres in Dublin while a full-day stoppage will be held on Tuesday at the Baggot Street offices. On the following day, a protest will be held outside the offices of Tom Parlon, Minister of State for the Office of Public Works.
