Speaking after a meeting with business executives in Ljubljana, Janša called for "more reason" as he rapped the unions for gearing up for the strike while the negotiations were still ongoing.

With talks still under way, measures have not been passed yet, therefore there are no clear reasons for the strike, Janša stressed

He added that the coalition would file any amendments to the supplementary budget related to potential compromises with the trade unions.

But Branimir Štrukelj, who heads the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions that represents around a half of public sector employees, labelled Janša's statement as a threat and said that the prime minister is not the one to decide who pays for the cost, but a court is.

He believes that the state will have to cover the expenses of the strike because "it is responsible for it".

Meanwhile, Drago Ščernjavič, another trade union negotiator, showed the media an agreement that ended the 2010 strike and was signed by former Prime Minister Borut Pahor but is allegedly binding also for the incumbent government.

Under the accord, any strike resulting from a violation of the agreement is to be paid for by the employer. Similar to Štrukelj, Ščernjavič labelled Janša's statement as "inappropriate and additional fear mongering".