Cleaning staff at the Garda college in Templemore will begin a work-to-rule today.

IMPACT says the workers are the lowest paid civil servants in Ireland. They start work on the national minimum wage of €9.15 per hour.

The union says the dispute is over a number of issues, including staffing shortages due to the recent increase in student numbers following the end of the recruitment freeze imposed during the economic crisis.

Under the work-to-rule, cleaners will confine their work to cleaning duties, instead of also undertaking what the union calls extended housekeeping duties.

IMPACT is also calling for a formal Health and Safety Authority inspection of the Co Tipperary facility.

The union is further threatening to take an equal pay case against the State because male staff doing similar work in other sectors of the public service are paid significantly more than the female Garda College cleaners involved in the Templemore dispute.

A garda spokesperson said garda management in involved with talks with IMPACT on this matter.