INMO midwife members in University Maternity Hospital Limerick have voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of industrial action.
97.5% of midwives confirmed their levels of frustration and concern by voting in favour of a work-to-rule.
The action will see midwives withdraw from all clerical administration roles and prioritise all care for pregnant women, mothers and babies and is due to begin on Friday 27 November from 8am.
This action is independent of the INMO ballot of emergency department nurses which will begin next Monday.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer Mary Fogarty said: "It is regrettable that the HSE has failed to address the clinical midwifery deficits raised by the INMO as far back as January 2015.
"It is even more a matter of concern that, while the HSE has publically acknowledged that additional midwives are required, they delay in agreeing to recruit the midwives and ensure safe standards are reinstated at the maternity hospital".
According to the INMO, UMH Limerick has approximately 5,000 births per year, but only has a clinical midwife workforce of 112 midwives.
This has resulted in an unacceptable midwife-to-birth ratio of one midwife to 44 births.
"The present offer from the HSE of only ten additional midwives will bring this ratio to 1:41," an INMO statement said.
Ms Fogarty said: "International safe midwifery standards dictate a ratio of 1:29.5 and the INMO believes that these standards must be adhered to in all maternity hospitals to ensure safe care of pregnant women, mothers and babies."
