The Agriculture Department says it has plans in place to deal with meat inspectors and vets walking off the job at meat processing plants around the country.
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Australia's meat industry is next in line to be hit by the public service wage dispute, with about 30 processing plants in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia expected to be hit as the inspectors and vets impose one-hour stop-work actions combined with overtime bans on three days each week.
The Community and Public Sector Union members are unhappy with an enterprise bargaining proposal they say strips conditions, entitlements and real wages.
But the department says it has made the best offer it can afford.
Inspectors and veterinarians go into processing plants to certify that all produce meets rigorous export and production standards and their union says the work bans and stoppages will result in delays to processing.
The unions says the proposed new workplace deal contains "cuts, cuts and more cuts".
According to the CPSU, which is vigorously campaigning for a no-vote when the proposal is put to an all-staff ballot, workers will lose their health allowance, face a tougher time accessing personal and other leave, have penalty rates cut and lose time off in lieu and other entitlements.
The union's national secretary, Nadine Flood, said the meat inspectors were reacting to the Abbott government's tough public sector bargaining policy.
"Meat inspectors and vets are angry at the Abbott government's refusal to change its unfair bargaining policy, a policy which forces public service agencies to seek deep cuts to staff rights, conditions and take home pay," Ms Flood said.
"Taking protected action which disrupts the processing industry is not something our members do lightly.
"But with the government moving to cut their rights, conditions and take home pay, they feel like they have don't any other options."
The office of Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce referred inquiries to the department, which said it had unspecified "arrangements" to cope with the strike action.
"The department has arrangements in place to continue to deliver services to our clients in the event of any industrial action being taken," a spokesperson said.
"The department will advise our clients and the community if they are likely to be affected by any disruption to our business."
Agriculture says that the offer that has been made, of about 1.5 per cent per year, was the best one affordable under its present budget.
"The department is able to negotiate remuneration increases that are affordable from within our budget over the duration of the enterprise agreement," the spokesperson said.
The current offer is the best offer the department is able to provide within the principles set out by government.
Industrial action is spreading across the 160,000-strong public service with workers at the Department of Parliamentary Services and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority the latest to vote to take strike action.
But agreements have been voted up in nine public sector agencies or departments and Employment Minister Eric Abetz has urged all public servants to follow suit.
