Three teachers' unions - the TUI, the ASTI and the INTO - are to ballot their members on industrial action against the Government's decision on a public service pension levy.
Arrangements are to start immediately to ballot the INTO union's 30,000 members.
INTO General Secretary John Carr said the blame for any industrial action in primary schools which may follow lies squarely on the shoulders of the government which has unilaterally targeted public servants for pay cuts and failed to reopen social partnership talks.
The ASTI will ballot its 18,000 members on up to two days of industrial action to be taken in coordination with other public service unions.
A spokesman for the TUI, which has 14,000 members, said its members were angry that an unjust and unfair pay cut was to be imposed.
Elsewhere, TDs will next week vote on a Labour Party motion calling for a deferral of the pension levy and the reopening of talks with the social partners.
The motion urges the Government to re-enter negotiations to reach agreement on 'fair and equitable set of proposals'.
The motion will be debated in private members' time on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
