Tesco management and unions are to set the date for conciliation talks at the Workplace Relations Commission over the company's plans to change the pay and conditions of around 1,000 of its 14,000 employees.
The supermarket multinational wants to transfer pre-1996 employees from their existing contracts to what the company calls 'modern' post-1996 contracts.
Last week the staff affected voted overwhelmingly to back strike action, saying they would lose out under the proposed changes.
There was an 85% turnout and 99% of those voted to back industrial action.
Tesco has postponed the proposed contract 'migration', which had been due to happen last Monday, until 16 May.
A spokesperson for Tesco said they are in correspondence with the WRC about setting a date for a meeting and are "open to constructive negotiations".
