Public health doctors today held what they described as "information pickets" health board hospitals across the state in an escalation of their strike over pay and working conditions.
A spokesman for the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) told
ireland.com
those protesting were not directing requests to other staff not to pass pickets.
The IMO has also applied to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) for permission to mount all-out pickets at the hospitals.
ICTU is likely to respond to the request next week after a series of consulting with other health workers' unions.
Yesterday, the IMO agreed a six-point escalation plan which included immediately balloting community ophthalmic physicians on possible industrial action.
If ICTU allows all-out pickets, all hospital staff, including non-medical staff, would be encouraged not to pass the public health doctors' pickets.
According to the IMO, the Government has failed to table any settlement proposals since the dispute began.
No talks are planned to break the deadlock in the strike, which is in its fourth week. Last week's talks at the Labour Relations Commission ended in failure.
On RTÉ Radio this morning IMO President, Dr Joe Barry, said the Department of Health had made no proposals regarding providing cover for the work of tracing infectious diseases outside of normal working hours.