Hospital consultants have voted to continue with their practice of more than 20 years whereby they decide individually whether to accept proposed changes to their contracts.
The Labour Relations Commission has proposed several work practice changes - aimed at saving the State around €200m.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association, which is finishing an intensive round of briefings this evening, said that it will not enter a collective agreement on the proposals.
The group also expressed anger at the terms being offered to newly appointed consultants, saying it will worsen an already difficult recruitment shortage.
