The Labour Relations Commission is to consider pay claims from two nursing unions which would include a 35-hour working week and a special allowance for nurses working in Dublin.
The Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association say they also want pay parity with managerial and therapeutic grades.
However, the Health Service Executive has said the claims would cost €1.6bn and would give no improvement in service.
Both organisations said today that under current conditions it would take 21 years for this year's graduate nurses and midwives to achieve the same pay parity as childcare workers.
The unions say they have no faith in the benchmarking process delivering on the claims.
The INO said industrial action would be a last resort. Both organisations will attend a Labour Relations Commission hearing on the eight claims on 3 April.
