Unions look set to hold at least one national day of demonstration in protest at the impact of the economic crisis on workers.
The public sector committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has voted to recommend the move to a full Congress executive council meeting tomorrow.
It is a bid to harness the anger of workers over rising unemployment, pay cuts and the pension levy in the public service.
IMPACT General Secretary Peter McLoone said the nature, detail and date of the national day of demonstration would be decided at tomorrow's meeting.
However, he added that more than one day may be required for workers to get their message across to the Government.
Earlier, the head of SIPTU warned that industrial action 'on a very dramatic scale' will be required to resist what he called the ongoing attack on workers in the private and public sectors.
However, General Secretary Jack O'Connor added that this would only come about in support of an overall plan to address the issues affecting workers' right across the economy.
He said that any industrial action would involve much more than 'just walks around town' that some people appeared to be focusing on.
Speaking after a three-hour meeting of his union's National Executive Council, Mr O'Connor said that the issues at stake were far broader than the controversial pension levy introduced for public servants.
'The assault under way is about correcting the problem in the public finances without the wealthy contributing a single cent', he said.
'We should remember that the first initiative in this campaign on behalf of the wealthy was actually launched against private sector workers by the construction industry employers, who profited most during the boom, when declaring their intention to cut building workers pay by 10%.
'Ironically, the builders do not need a devaluation because they are only competing with each other.
'While a devaluation would affect all sectors of society, cutting pay achieves the same results exclusively at the expense of workers.'
Mr O'Connor added that SIPTU would be proposing a national campaign, from which nothing would be excluded, at tomorrow's executive meeting of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
He also accused the Government of being party to an agenda with the employers to drive down wages across the economy.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil this afternoon that the pension levy will apply from next month.
Brian Cowen also said the heads of the bill to give effect to the levy were approved by Cabinet and the bill would be published and enacted as a matter of urgency.
ICTU ponders strategy
Elsewhere, the Public Sector Committee of ICTU is due to assemble today to try to formulate a coordinated union strategy on the pension levy.
The Civil and Public Service Union said yesterday it will ballot its 13,000 members on industrial action, and if they endorse it, the union will mount a one-day strike affecting all Government departments on 26 February.
Meanwhile, a number of public sector unions, including the Public Sector Executive Union and a number of teachers' unions, have said they will join a nationwide protest outside politicians' constituency offices on Saturday.
The protest has been organised by IMPACT in its campaign to oppose the pension levy.
