Ljubljana - A trade union has tabled legislation backed by voter signatures that would give employees better protection when they receive a warning before termination, a system they say would protect workers against abuse of this disciplinary sanction.

Under the bill proposed by the Trade Union of Slovenian Police (SPS) and backed by over 7,000 signatures, an employer would be able to issue a warning before termination only if employees were alleged to be at fault or incompetent.

And when a worker receives such a warning, they would be able to challenge it in court, which would require the employer to wait with termination proceedings until the court has issued a final decision.

SPS leader Kristjan Mlekuš would not name specific examples that led the union to take action beyond repeating the claim that the union made in autumn: that warnings before termination were being abused in the police force to discipline staff.

At the time Mlekuš highlighted the case of a police officer who took a photo with anti-government protester and officers who removed members of the neo-Nazi group Yellow Jackets from anti-government protests, all of whom received warnings before termination.

If a bill is submitted to parliament with at least 5,000 signatures, the National Assembly must take it up just like any piece of legislation proposed by the government or parliamentary parties.