Preparations for the general strike in the public sector continue, despite Education Minister Žiga Turk's announcement earlier today that he will not launch planned proceedings for changes in the standards of primary and secondary education, which have been among the trade union's main grievances.

SVIZ head Branimir Štrukelj said it was unclear what the minister had in mind with the statement. "We don't know whether the minister plans to push ahead with changes to standards for kindergartens...as well as for higher education, residence halls for secondary school students and children with special needs," Štrukelj said.

The head of the committee coordinating preparations for the strike, Janez Posedi, said the unions were still waiting for an official invitation from the government to begin negotiations on the planned 5% cut to the public sector wage bill.

Last week the government appointed a team to negotiate with the unions but it remained adamant that the 5% cut unavoidable. "There is simply no money," Public Administration Minister Senko Pličanič said after the government session.

"The current wage bill is the highest possible, so this is not negotiable," the minister said, but stressed that the government would like to negotiate on the way in which the wage bill could be reduced.