Together with cultural and research institutions, the number of institutions that will take part in the strike tops 760. SVIZ head Branimir Štrukelj said the government's attitude towards the unions was irresponsible. "The government, which will potentially have 100,000 people on strike, acts like nothing serious is going on," Štrukelj said.

If the government wanted to look for compromises, it would negotiate until the last minute and not in the way that Justice and Public Administration Minister Senko Pličanič is doing, who does not know whether he has any powers or not and who is always in a hurry to some other "extremely important meeting", he said.

Štrukelj, who is also the president of the KSJS public sector trade union confederation, said he had no idea when the negotiations could continue. "I understand this charade for the public was played out yesterday and on Friday."

The Education Ministry's withdrawal of changes in the standards of primary and secondary education just before the announced strike means nothing, the union pointed out.

According to Štrukelj, the main reason for the strike is the planned cut in the public sector wage bill, which could result not only in pay cuts but also in layoffs.

SVIZ also said that the ministry was trying to manipulate schools and kindergartens, as it had sent them a circular letter on Monday saying that the possibilities for industrial action at schools and kindergartens were limited by law.

If this was true, like it is the case in health and the police, it should be specified what work needs to be done regardless of the strike, but there is no such provision in the law, Štrukelj stressed.