Mirko Pozar, the head of the subcontractors' association, told the press that 27 subcontractors that joined the protest drove just over the lower speed limit for motorways.

This time, protesters drove personal vehicles due to the fact that they are facing confiscations of their assets due to the trouble they are in because the national motorway company DARS would not pay for their work.

Pozar stressed that the Finance Ministry told DARS, which was the contracting authority, to repay the subcontractors by executing bank guarantees, as the association had proposed.

In April, the government also ordered DARS to find a solution to pay the subcontractors by 21st June, but the motorway company did nothing, according to Pozar.

"It is obvious that the government does not govern over DARS, but DARS governs over the government," Pozar stressed, calling on Prime Minster Borut Pahor and Transport Minister Patrick Vlacic to do something about their situation.

Most of the subcontractors' claims, worth around EUR 9m, arose from the construction of the NE section of Slovenian motorways.

DARS reiterated today that it cannot pay their claims as it already gave the money to the main contractors, adding that a legal opinion said another payment would be against the law.

Meanwhile Pozar said that his association would not stop protesting until the subcontractors got paid for the work they have done, adding that they would stage another protest on the SW section of Slovenian motorways in mid-July.