More than 30,000 people from across Slovenia gathered in the center of Ljubljana on Saturday for a protest against austerity measures, according to estimates from the organizers – unions, student, and pensioner associations.
The president of the largest trade union center, Dušan Semolič, addressing the crowd at Congress Square, stated that the unions are sending a message to the Slovenian government and the overall policy that it is implementing an unacceptable “neoliberal” policy of austerity and cutting the achievements of the welfare state, thereby reducing the quality of life for employees.
– We firmly tell our government and politicians that workers are not commodities; we demand that they resist the neoliberal concept that is ravaging Europe – said Semolič, adding that the crisis was not caused by workers but by greedy capital and bankers.
Representatives of the students who spoke at the gathering opposed the “commercialization and privatization” of higher education and the reduction of funds for public education, and called on the government for measures to reduce youth unemployment, while representatives of pensioner associations warned of the increasing decline in the standard of living for retirees, which could be further exacerbated by the announced pension reform.
Due to salary cuts in the public sector, reductions in budget funds for culture, and possible layoffs of employees in education, the president of the union of employees in culture and education, Branimir Štrukelj, did not rule out the possibility of a strike if the government continues its austerity policy at the expense of education and the public sector in general.
Despite the noticeable presence of police, who protected the nearby parliament building, no incidents were reported during the protest.
