Nurses held protests at 13 hospitals nationwide this afternoon over plans to cut pay of student nurses during their work placements.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation stressed that there was no disruption to patient services.
Fourth-year student nurses currently spend the final nine months of their degree programme replacing paid qualified staff on wards.
During that time, they are paid 80% of the minimum rate at the new lower staff nurse scale.
However, the Government has decided to phase out their pay over the next four years and eliminate it completely by 2015.
The INMO has criticised the decision, which was taken without consultation with the union, and which it claims breaches the Croke Park Agreement and the EU Directive on Information and Consultation.
INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said this move will force nurses to work full-time on wards providing direct patient care for no wage, describing this as 'slave labour'.
The union has mounted a campaign to force the Government to reverse the pay cuts.
Further protests are planned, including a march on 16 February through Dublin.
The protests came as talks got under way at the Labour Relations Commission in a bid to resolve the row.
The union is also seeking pre-election commitments on the issue from the five party leaders that they will reverse the pay cut, and will notify members of the parties' positions.
