The trade unions said in a press release that they had not been informed of the planned salary cuts, nor were they able to discuss the proposals.

The National Assembly will debate the budget bills at an emergency session that starts tomorrow.

The trade unions urge the MPs to vote against the bills and provide time for social partners to reach a consensus in a press release issued by Branimir Štrukelj, the head of KSJS public sector trade union confederation, and chief negotiator for public sector trade unions Drago Ščernjavič.

It is unacceptable that the government decided unilaterally to cut public sector wage bill, which unavoidably leads to massive layoffs while at the same time lowers taxes on capital.

Moreover, the trade unionists claim that the budget bills violate the public finances act, act regulating public sector pay and the act on the balancing of public finances.

Under Slovenian legislation, budget bills cannot change regulations laying down citizens' rights, which these budget bills do, trade unions believe.

Unless the budget bills are rejected, the trade unions will have to think about submitting signatures to stay the implementation of the bills, Štrukelj and Ščernjavič said.

"By staying the bills, we could get the opportunity to negotiate and the chance to avoid strike which would otherwise be inevitable," the press release said.

Public sector trade unions said at the end of last month that they would start preparing for a general strike if the government went through with its plan to cut pay.