Apprentice engineers are up in arms over a new levy on students in Institutes of Technology around the country.
The Department of Education has slapped a minimum fee of 800 euro on them for their off-the-job training.
Today a national campaign opposing the move has been launched by the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union and the Union of Students in Ireland.
"The government have imposed a student service charge on apprentices when they attend Institutes of Technology in stages four and six of their apprenticeship," said Eamon Devoy of the TEEU.
"The charge levied on the apprentice varies on the type of apprenticeship, between €833 and €1433. This has never been heard of before, there was never any consultation with anybody about it."
