January 24, 2018
The STA reports January 24, 2018. That service is today limited in public administration, healthcare and social care institutions, and some educational establishments, as portions of the public sector have gone on strike, but there are no reports of major disruptions caused by the industrial action.
About two dozen primary schools and kindergartens are closed, in particular in eastern Slovenia, while a much bigger strike of teachers is expected on 14 February.
Reports from Lendava in the east and Sežana in the west suggest parents got organised and did not bring the children in, even though some teachers were on standby to accept kids who could not stay at home.
Alenka Vida, the shop steward at the Lendava bilingual primary school, told the STA not a single parent brought their child to school.
Most of the crucial services on strike shifted to Sunday work mode or out-of-hours duty and are only attending to urgent business.
In healthcare only some non-urgent exams are being scrapped given that only the lowest-paid workers have opted to join the strike.
At UKC Maribor, Slovenia's second largest hospital, only lab workers have joined the strike. At UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest hospital, technical staff and cleaners are on strike.
Doctors have already secured pay rises, while nurses are planning a separate strike for 13 February.
Some libraries, theatres and archives are closed and the National Assembly session has been suspended for the day.
The strike is also held at administrative units, which except only urgent applications while rejecting all other customers, according to the Ljubljana Administrative Unit.
The people are understanding and are not complaining, a unionist at the Koper Administrative Unit told the STA.
The situation is similar at the Financial Administration and the Surveying and Mapping Authority.
Customs officers at the Port of Koper and Ljubljana Airport are conducting more detailed inspections, but there are no reports as yet about cargo being held up.
In Koper cargo shipments were accelerated yesterday so there are no hold-ups today, the STA has learnt.
The strike will culminate at noon when several thousand protesters are expected in front of Government Palace.
Union representatives are not scheduled to hold talks with the government today, but they will be received by Parliamentary Speaker Milan Brglez.
