Third-level staff who are members of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) have voted in favour of taking industrial action.
The union confirmed its third-level members voted "overwhelmingly" for industrial action, ""up to and including strike action".
Their dispute centres on their claim that the Department of Further and Higher Education and institute management have not adhered to a collective agreement over the establishment of technological universities.
TUI said there can be "no regional variation in pay or conditions in the sector", urging the department to "engage meaningfully on the issues of concern".
Of the members polled, 92 per cent voted in favour of industrial action.
"The strong mandate given back to the union by members at third level shows the depth of feeling on this critical issue," TUI president David Waters said.
"There must be parity of esteem across the technological university (TU) sector and any regional variations in pay or conditions are completely unacceptable to us.
"The TU sector must continue to have nationally agreed terms and conditions for all the grades represented by the TUI and for any proposed new grades within the scope of the union."
Mr Waters added that in 2017, TUI members voted to accept a collective agreement over the establishment of TUs. However, he claimed the department and management have not adhered to the deal, and "deliberately and consistently frustrating the proper functioning of the industrial relations fora at third level".
"We have already described the Department’s approach as an attempt to dismantle the sector (which is protected by the agreement) and to force through a desire to have each TU free to operate separately, without regard or recourse to national negotiation," Mr Waters said.
He added the union's executive committee will now assess the options for industrial action.
