The government wants to get the legislation passed in March (the two bills are slated for committee approval in mid-February), but Labour, Family and Social Affairs Minister Andrej Vizjak said it was willing to defer the final reading in parliament.

After months of talks, the employers and trade unions appear far from an agreement: the former want a loosening of rigid provisions on layoffs and severance pay, while the latter are determined to fight for workers' rights.

"Labour market reform is important not only because everyone has been warning us about the rigid market, it is also because of Slovenia's economy," said Jože Smole, the secretary of the Employers' Association.

Andrej Zorko, who is in charge of labour relations at the ZSSS trade union, meanwhile said Slovenia needed solutions that improve employee security and crack down on abuse.