IRISH Life has issued another warning to its 440 sales staff who are voting in Portlaoise today on a Labour Court Recommendation on changes in sales structures. The company intends to implement the Labour Court recommendation from Monday next.

"A rejection of the Labour Court recommendation by the MSF union is a straightforward vote for industrial action," Irish Life said. The company would start to suspend without pay sales staff who refuse to co-operate by Wednesday February 5th, it said in a statement.

MSF official, Mr John Tierney, said the company was "clearly gearing up for a dispute when it would be better off trying to find a solution to the genuine concerns of the sales staff".

If the recommendation is rejected today, the meeting would move on to discuss "the next course of action", he said.