Teaching staff at Dundalk Institute of Technology have held a lunchtime protest as part of a dispute with the Department of Further and Higher Education.
It is part of a nationwide lunchtime action by the Teachers' Union of Ireland.
The TUI represents around 320 lecturers and researchers at DKIT.
The union says there are unacceptable regional variations in pay and conditions in the sector.
Chair of the Dundalk branch of the TUI said that a 2017 agreement established how terms and conditions would be decided in the technological university (TU) Sector.
Kevin Howard said that different institutions are now setting their own terms and conditions for equivalent roles.
"We can't have that", he said. "Individual institute managements cannot be allowed unilaterally to draw up terms and conditions for staff that disregard national agreements."
Mr Howard said that DKIT was an "outlier" at the moment, as one of only two remaining institutes of technology that have not moved to the TU sector.
He said this was "despite the wishes of staff".
Mr Howard said that five TU's have already formed.
"We're looking to develop institutional links with other universities in order to give the north east what it deserves, what it is entitled to, a university status campus in this region," he said.
In a statement, DKIT President Dr Diarmuid O'Callaghan confirmed that "high level discussions" have taken place with Maynooth University.
"We have been exploring the potential for both organisations to collaborate.
"Our fundamental vision is to enhance and build on the higher education offering for our learners, staff, and our communities which is of mutual benefit," he said.
The TUI described the department's approach as an attempt to have each technological university free to operate separately, without regard or recourse to national negotiation.
"This is a clear and wholly unacceptable breach of a collective agreement accepted in good faith by our members," said TUI General Secretary Michael Gillespie.
"Should the department continue to refuse to engage properly with us, the union already has a strong mandate for a campaign of industrial action, up to and including strike action, on this critical issue following a national ballot of members last month in which 92% of members polled voted to take industrial action as directed by the Union’s Executive Committee."
The department said it has engaged consistently with the TUI on the reform of the technological university sector and remains available to enter into discussions on this matter.
"The dispute has arisen in relation to the establishment of a new Executive Management Team in MTU which has been sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure," a department spokesperson said.
"The department does not accept that there has been any breach of the 2017 agreement or any other agreement."
The department said it is continuing to engage with TUI to seek an agreed solution and that it is willing to avail of the dispute resolution mechanisms that exist if necessary.
Additional reporting by Brian O'Donovan
