The Police Trade Union and the Trade Union of Police Officers, whose members have been on strike since 18 April, filed over 4,700 voter signatures at the National Assembly because they refuse to accept wage cuts agreed by the other public sector unions earlier in May.

The police unions have been accused of being uncooperative, but unionist Zoran Petrovič denies a lack of interest in a compromise, noting that they had agreed to 13 of the 18 measures affecting the public sector.

Within seven days after the filing of the signatures, the National Assembly must set a 30-day period in which the unions must collect 40,000 signatures, according to the act on referendum.

This is the second referendum initiative of the police unions in as many months after they challenged amendments to the act on emergency measures that defer the payment of the holiday bonus for last year from May to June. The unions have until 3 June to collect the 40,000 signatures for that referendum.