The rally is organised by the ZSSS union confederation, the KSJS public sector trade union confederation, KNSS Neodvisnost union association, the Student Organisation (ŠOS) and the Association of Pensioner Societies (ZDUS), which are mostly concerned about the planned austerity measures.

Extreme cuts envisaged in the 2013 and 2014 budget bills will not kick-start the economy but will merely deepen the crisis and lead to even more poverty, they believe.

The unions also feel the government has encroached on social dialogue by sending the pension and labour reforms to parliament while all key issues remain open and negotiations ongoing.

Pensioners meanwhile feel cheated, as they have been paying money into the pension fund for years and now many of them do not get big enough pension to be able to survive.

The young on the other hand fear they will carry the biggest burden of the crisis in the long run, stressing that many of them are already too busy making ends meet to be planning their career or family life.