The deal was initialled by Health Minister Milojka Kolar Celarc and FIDES head Konrad Kuštrin after the wording of the document was ironed out today.

Doctors, who staged a two-week strike at the end of last year, had threatened to revive strike activities on Monday should no deal be reached. The talks had been revived earlier this week.

The minister presented a proposal to FIDES on Friday afternoon, envisaging a test period in which the possibility of flexible bonuses for doctors would be tried.

If the system proved successful, it would be inserted in the act on the management of public health institutes, Kolar Celarc said after the talks.

Today an annex to the collective bargaining agreement was initialled, envisaging an overhaul of the pay brackets for trainee doctors, senior doctors and licensed dentists as well as senior specialists.

Before it is signe, the agreement must be approved by the government. The cabinet will meet on Monday as part of its visit to the western Goriško region, but it is not clear yet whether the issue will be on the agenda then.