Banks say they expect to maintain ATM services at current levels despite a strike at the Brinks Allied cash delivery company, which is to begin today.
SIPTU members plan to picket the company's headquarters at Clonshaugh, Dublin, in a row over new work practices.
The strike is likely to increase disruption to services provided by Brinks in Dublin and elsewhere in the east, as supervisors who have been carrying out deliveries will not pass pickets.
Drivers have been off the road since the end of last month, when the company attempted to introduce new vehicles and security procedures.
The row initially resulted in the closure of large numbers of non-branch ATMs in the affected east coast areas.
Since then, however, more than 90 per cent of all machines, including those at bank branches and in retail outlets, have been operating, according to the Irish Payment Services Organisation.
It says banks are confident that this level of service can be maintained during the strike.
There were no moves towards resolving the dispute at the weekend, after management at Brinks rejected a Labour Court recommendation on Friday.
Workers claim the company's proposed new security procedures would leave them more vulnerable to attack during armed robberies.
They expressed particular concern about a direction from management that drivers leave the scene of an armed robbery, even if that means abandoning a colleague.
They also refused to drive Dutch vehicles which the company sought to introduce in place of its existing fleet of vans.
In its recommendation, which was accepted by the workers, the court said the drive-away policy should be deferred pending further evaluation over a four-week period.
It said workers should accept the introduction of the Dutch vehicles, also for an interim four-week period, while discussions took place on modifications to the vans.
SIPTU security services branch secretary Mr Kevin McMahon said yesterday that members had no alternative but to go ahead with the strike following the company's decision to reject the recommendation.
He said there was now a growing concern that the company's "real agenda" was to use the dispute to close its Irish business.
"We believe Brinks now owes its customers, its employees and the general public an explanation for why it has so resolutely rejected all the efforts of the State's industrial relations machinery to assist in finding a solution to this dispute."
A spokesman for the company said it had nothing to add to its statement of last Friday, in which it had said it was not in a position to accept the court's recommendation.
In that statement the company said it had advised the court that its needs were "specialised to ensure safety and security is at a level that affords staff the best protection available".
Mr McMahon claimed yesterday the drive-away policy was a cheaper short-term option than alternatives the union had proposed to reduce robberies, such as investment by the security industry and banks in training and improved equipment. "However, it is also a policy that we believe increases considerably the risk to the health and safety of our members," he added.
