INMO and SIPTU members employed at Caredoc facilities have announced plans to take strike action next month as part of a pay dispute.
The workers have threatened to withdraw their labour from 18 December.
Caredoc operates 14 treatment centres across seven counties.
It provides GP out-of-hours services, telephone triage and community intervention.
There are 150 INMO members and 120 SIPTU members employed at Caredoc.
The unions said they are seeking the implementation of a 2023 WRC pay agreement for Section 39 organisations, specifically an 8% increase due to members working in Caredoc.
Section 39 organisations are privately owned charities and agencies that are contracted by the State to provide healthcare services.
The unions said money paid by the Health Service Executive to Caredoc to fund a pay increase for staff has not been applied to members’ salaries.
“Our members have no desire to withdraw their services in the middle of winter, but all other avenues have been exhausted,” said INMO Industrial Relations Officer Gráinne Walsh.
“We will be meeting with workplace representatives to discuss next steps and ensure that all contingency and organisational arrangements are in place for work stoppages,” Ms Walsh said.
SIPTU Health Organiser Ger McNally said that despite numerous attempts to engage with management, no resolution has been found.
“It is not acceptable for our members who work in a number of roles including call takers, drivers, receptionists, and administration staff to not have received their pay increases,” Mr McNally said.
Earlier, a spokesperson for Caredoc said that as the matter “is the subject of impending legal mediation, it would be inappropriate to make any comment at this time”.
However, in a letter to staff, seen by RTÉ News, Caredoc said it fully supports the campaign for pay increases, and that it has taken legal action against the HSE to try and get back all pay lost by staff over past years, “after the HSE without notice ended the link with its pay scales”.
“The 8% increase being sought by unions cannot be paid to you currently because the HSE have refused to pay Caredoc the money required to meet that payment,” the letter states.
Caredoc said it was sent a “token payment” of around €640,000 by the HSE, but the Board of Directors instructed that this “inadequate” amount be returned.
“That money would have made virtually no impact on pay, when spread across our full workforce and fell so far short of what was required, it was considered derisory,” the letter states.
The letter adds that Caredoc rejects any suggestion that it has failed to engage on this matter with unions.
“Caredoc will continue to keep you informed of our genuine efforts to represent your interests in our engagement with the HSE at a legal mediation this coming Friday,” the letter states.
