The Jobs Minister is urging both sides in a dispute at Irish Life to use the Workplace Relations Commission.
Over 1,100 workers will walk off the job today in a row over pay.
The two hour work stoppage will start at midday at their offices in Dublin and Dundalk and may lead to two more walk-outs later this winter.
It is the second lunchtime stoppage in a series of planned action.
Staff say a refusal to link wages to inflation is unfair and will leave workers unsure of future earnings.
Protesters are willing to enter talks at the Labour Court but Maeve Brehony of Unite says pay needs to be top of the agenda:
"Irish Life propose using an annual pay survey to determine what the market rate is and then they will pay a median of that between 80 and 120%, which is significantly below our members' current earning potential."
Speaking in Dundalk yesterday, Minister Richard Bruton told LMFM that both sides need to come together:
"We have now the Workplace Relations Commission which is very experienced in dealing with such disputes and even the most intractable of disputes have been successfully resolved."
"I would urge both sides to use the conciliation service."
Irish Life was sold to Great West Lifeco of Canada for $1.75 billion in recent years.
