The IMPACT trade union is to ballot its members for industrial action over decentralisation because it says the Government has failed to deliver on assurances that their jobs, working conditions and careers would be protected.
The ballot is expected to lead to a phased withdrawal of cooperation with the decentralisation programme.
The union, which represents professional and specialist staff, will initially ballot members in the Department of the Environment, the Prison Service, Ireland Aid, the Valuation Office, Geological Survey Ireland, Agricultural Laboratories and Place Names.
Only 15% of specialist staff, including valuers, scientists, engineers and architects, have opted to decentralise.
IMPACT official Louise O'Donnell said real threats to specialist jobs and careers have yet to be dealt with.
She added that, with some organisations due to move within months, members had been placed in an impossible position.
She said that it was increasingly unrealistic to expect staff to cooperate with a programme that could leave them without a career or useful work.
The union said staff in other departments and offices could be balloted later if firm assurances over jobs and careers were not forthcoming.
Minister Tom Parlon has recently given written assurances that Dublin-based specialists in the OPW could continue to do their jobs when their headquarters move to Trim, and that new staff would not be hired to take the jobs of those who remain in Dublin.
The union said it would now seek similar assurances from all ministers whose departments were earmarked for decentralisation.
IMPACT says decentralisation is especially difficult in organisations that depend heavily on specialist staff because, if they choose to stay in Dublin, they cannot simply interchange with other civil servants.
