Magdalene laundries survivors are calling on all Irish citizens to boycott mass and all church collections this weekend.

The call from the group 'Magdalene Survivors Together' comes in the wake of the announcement by the 4 religious orders which ran the workhouses that they will not contribute financially to the redress scheme for the women who lived there.

One of the religious orders refusing to contribute has total assets worth around €1.8 billion. The Sisters of Mercy are the largest religious order in the country and have around €165 million in cash on their books.

They are 1 of 4 groups of Catholic nuns - also including the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, the Sisters of Charity and the Good Shepherd Sisters - who say they will not put any money into the redress scheme but will help the survivors in other ways instead.

The government has insisted it cannot force the orders to pay up meaning tax payers will have to. It is expected to be between €34 and €58 million.

Under the terms of the scheme announced last month, individual payments will range from between €11,500 and €100,000. The package was designed based on the recommendations of High Court judge Mr. Justice John Quirke.

The 'Magdalene Survivors Together' group says it wants all citizens to boycott mass and withhold donations to local churches this weekend to make it clear that the people are unhappy with the way the women are being treated.