The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has warned the State's 28,000 nurses that the Government will stand firm against their latest pay demands.
In his first direct intervention in the current public sector pay disputes, Mr Ahern said he was determined to act in the interests of "all the people" by not departing from the Labour Court recommendations on nurses' pay.
The Taoiseach's blunt message means the nurses' strike will almost certainly go ahead on October 19th. To give in to them would "unleash a wave of follow-on claims," Mr Ahern said, and undermine the settling of disputes by a return of the "strike weapon".
At a meeting of the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party in Galway, Mr Ahern said that the trust and industrial peace which had flowed from four partnership programmes could be in danger.
"I believe that a number of groups are acting in a way that is not compatible with the combination of honouring commitments, trust and industrial peace. Unfortunately, those groups are predominantly in the public service."
Mr Ahern said he personally had been, and would continue to be, a strong and consistent advocate of the benefits that flowed from seeking and acting on the basis of consensus.
"I have devoted a great deal of my political career to devising and implementing that social partnership process.
"It is therefore a source of deep regret to me to say that the actions of groups in the public service were not compatible with the social partnership I believe in."
Notwithstanding that, he was determined to act in the interests of "all our people".
"It is not in their interests that individual groups pursue their agendas to the detriment of the wider community. It is not in their interests that we throw away the benefits social partnership has brought.
"It is not in their interests that we return to an era of industrial disputes, to a lack of confidence, to high money income increases but falling living standards, and to stagnant employment followed by significant job losses." Mr Ahern continued that there was a special onus on him to set down his view - a view which he said was shared clearly and collectively by his colleagues in Government - as nurses were considering their decision on a strike ballot.
He said it was important that the nurses understood that the Government could not depart from the recent Labour Court findings.
It was the Government's view that these findings, combined with earlier awards, recognised the special role of nurses, represented a generous response, and provided considerably more than that received by many others who also made an important contribution to society, he continued.
"These awards constitute an additional £150 million on a pay bill of £665 million and an increase of 23 per cent for nurses."
Mr Ahern was speaking to party TDs, Senators and MEPs in Salthill.
"The Government have no option but to stand firm on the outcome of Labour Court proceedings, which are the agreed basis on which differences should be settled," he said.