The Government is facing the threat of industrial action from the Defence Forces similar to that taken by An Garda Síochána during its "blue flu" day in 1998.
Mr Richie Condron, a delegate at PDFORRA's annual conference in Waterford, is calling on the national executive of the association to begin formulating a plan of industrial action.
He said the decision announced this week to reduce Defence Forces staff by 400 ran contrary to what is contained in the White Paper on defence.
The Defence Forces say they are unhappy at what they see as broken promises on issues contained in the White Paper. They say the industrial action would not affect any services which are key to the security of the State.
It is more likely that any action will take the form of obstructionist tactics, which will not threaten the provision of armed escorts for cash or prisoners being transported or security at Leinster House and Portlaoise prison.
The action would start on a small scale in a number of areas around the country and would grow if demands were not met.
The obstructionist tactics would, among others, take the form of military drivers deciding their vehicles were not roadworthy, a tactic which would see the Defence Forces' daily transport fleet grind to a halt.
This week industrial relations problems came to a head among members of the Air Corps based at Finner Camp, Co Donegal.
Some members working on the Air Corps search-and-rescue mission claimed they had been harassed when they pointed out health and safety issues. A mystery illness resulted in a number of them taking sick leave, which greatly limited the service. The matter has now been resolved in the short term.
Mr Condron said: "The White Paper clearly says the Defence Forces will be maintained at 10,500, with a further 250 in training at any one time." A representative for McKee Barracks and Defence Forces headquarters, he said a commitment in the White Paper to reinvest savings achieved by reducing the size of the Defence Forces in recent years was not being honoured.
He described as "unacceptable" the fact that 700 personnel had not been assigned posts, as it disrupted the career paths of the serving members. If industrial action went ahead, it might refocus the Government's attention on the White Paper, he said.
The president of PDFORRA, Mr Bill Coffey, said any reorganisation of the Defence Forces should only be done following consultation. He also criticised the manner in which members were made aware of the cuts through the media. The proposal on industrial action will be put to the conference today.
However, the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, said his department enjoyed good relations with PDFORRA and that both would work to resolve any issues through negotiation. His department was not immune to economic conditions. Plans to cut the public sector workforce by 5,000, including the 400 Defence Forces positions, were regrettable.