Primary school teachers are threatening industrial action over heavy workloads.

Members of the INTO union say they will stop carrying out a range of administration work, in protest at an increase in unpaid work demands and the ongoing ban on promotion.

The action has been agreed by an overwhelming 97% of union members and it is expected a directive on non-cooperation will be issued to all primary schools in the coming days.

Emma Dineen, President of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, said staff are tired of working for free.

Ms Dineen said: "They're already doing it, but they are doing it through an awful lot of good will to an awful lot of extra time on their own behalf, and it's not good enough.

"Good will will only go so far for so many years.

"There are a lot of initiatives that have come down upon them in the last number of years, whether they be from the department or societal demands, all of those are putting huge pressures on schools."