Slovenske železnice said today that it was still too soon to assess the damage, but expressed hope that the situation at the port would improve as soon as possible.

The slowdown at the port has been fuelled by a simmering dispute over the planned termination of a shop steward's employment contract at port operator Luka Koper.

The management initially wanted to terminate him outright due to a fatal work accident he was involved in - though an inspection did not find him culpable - but then backtracked and decided to pursue the matter in court.

Several media reported port workers opted last week for work-to-rule, a type of industrial action where work rules are strictly observed, which typically leads to slowdowns, but in-house trade unions have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

"Ships have not redirected to other ports. We're talking about a day's delay at most, but we're trying to compensate it with land transport," Dimitrij Zadel, the new CEO of port operator Luka Koper, told the press on Monday.

A protest is scheduled in front of the port today, organised by a local civil initiative that fights for labour rights. About 200 individuals have confirmed their attendance on Facebook.