Slovenia: Public sector workers go on strike

LJUBLJANA Political crisis in Slovenia has reached its peak and PM Janez Jansa’s government is expected to fall as public sector workers are protesting in the streets. Schools and kindergartens are closed today while hospitals are accepting only emergency cases. Slovenia: Public sector workers go on strike Firemen, public administration, police and customs officers also went on strike on Wednesday so long lines at border crossings with Croatia could be expected. Only a year after former PM Borut Pahor’s government fell, Jansa’s government is expected to fall as well soon. A deadline given by Citizens' List, led by parliament Speaker Gregor Virant, to the prime minister and his party to step down or start an interpellation procedure in parliament expired at midnight. Virant has warned that his party would otherwise leave the ruling coalition. A deadline Virant gave to coalition partners to organize a no-confidence vote against him in parliament has also expired in the meantime. The government has been destabilized by protests of citizens and a report of the Anti-Corruption Committee which accused leaders of the two largest parties Jansa and Zoran Jankovic of corruption. Council of Europe (coE) Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland on Tuesday said that Slovenia was an example of a state that threatened to collapse due to corruption. The main reason for today’s general strike of the public sector workers is the 2013 budget that has already been adopted. The budget envisages reduction of public workers’ wages by five percent. B92 Beta Tanjug

Slovenia: Public sector workers go on strike

Firemen, public administration, police and customs officers also went on strike on Wednesday so long lines at border crossings with Croatia could be expected.

Only a year after former PM Borut Pahor’s government fell, Janša’s government is expected to fall as well soon.

A deadline given by Citizens' List, led by parliament Speaker Gregor Virant, to the prime minister and his party to step down or start an interpellation procedure in parliament expired at midnight. Virant has warned that his party would otherwise leave the ruling coalition.

A deadline Virant gave to coalition partners to organize a no-confidence vote against him in parliament has also expired in the meantime.

The government has been destabilized by protests of citizens and a report of the Anti-Corruption Committee which accused leaders of the two largest parties Janša and Zoran Janković of corruption.

Council of Europe (coE) Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland on Tuesday said that Slovenia was an example of a state that threatened to collapse due to corruption.

The main reason for today’s general strike of the public sector workers is the 2013 budget that has already been adopted. The budget envisages reduction of public workers’ wages by five percent.