Virant told the STA that his decision was based on the views of Miro Cerar and the feeling that the unconvincing union support for an agreement could be related to the expectation that a better deal can be reached with the new government.

The budget for 2015 envisages a reduction of the public sector wage bill by 3% or EUR 83m compared to this year, and the government wanted to couple the cost-cutting measures with a continued reduction in the headcount.

Some of the unions, like the education trade union SVIZ, were ready to sign an agreement after they were only willing to negotiate on a proposal limiting the cuts to an extension of existing saving measures.

Sviz's Branimir Štrukelj however also pointed to today's comment by Cerar that the next government will carry the responsibility for next year.

If the agreement with trade unions is reached now, it will have to be respected. If not, the new government will first need to examine the situation and enter these talks, Cerar said.

As Cerar prefers the second option, SVIZ asked him to explain whether his potential new government planned to additionally cut public sector wages, preserve the present level or maybe even raise them. The same question was raised with respect to the number of civil servants.

Štrukelj said one needs to also allow for the possibility that it has been recognised that austerity leads nowhere.

The unions want clear answers, Štrukelj said, noting that Cerar's views can serve as a basis for the decision that needs to be taken by 160,000 public servants.

Štrukelj also acknowledged that the move will put the new government in a bind, as it will have limited time to reach a deal with the unions since the current measures expire at the end of the year.

Indeed, he said the new government would face tougher negotiations given that the majority of the public sector unions did not sign up for the latest deal.

Outgoing PM Alenka Bratušek protested today against Cerar's "opposition to an agreement without any serious justification". She said that a failure to reach an agreement would lead to layoffs and that she had instructed Virant with getting it ready for signing.