Education-sector union leaders said on Monday that on Wednesday, when a nation-wide teachers' strike would be held, the unions would organise a protest walk to the government's offices in Zagreb's St Mark's Square to exert pressure on the government, and that the strike would be joined by faculties.

The leader of the national union of secondary school teachers said that the protesters in St. Mark’s Square would be addressed by Branimir Strukelj, secretary-general of the Union of Education Workers of Slovenia and a vice-president of the European Trade Union Confederation, which has more than 11 million members in 48 countries.

“The government is still not treating us seriously, therefore additional pressure should be exerted, not only through the strike but also with our presence outside the government and parliament’s offices,” said Igor Radeka of the Independent Union of Research and Higher Education Employees of Croatia.

A total of 99.72% of members of the primary school teachers’ union were on strike on Monday in schools in Osijek-Baranja and Lika-Senj counties. The turnout in secondary schools exceeded 90%.

On Tuesday, the rotating strike of primary and secondary school teachers will continue in Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Zadar counties and on Thursday the strike moves to Istria and Sibenik-Knin counties while on Friday, teachers in Vukovar-Srijem and Karlovac counties will go on strike.

Leaders of teachers’ unions will meet with government officials again on Tuesday.

The meeting will be of a consultative nature, as preparation for a meeting to be held by the end of the week, which is expected to be a negotiating one, union leaders said.

Labour and Pension System Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Monday that during a meeting with representatives of striking unions in the education sector earlier in the day, participants had expressed willingness to reach a win-win outcome of the strike.

Aladrovic is hopeful that on Tuesday, when a new round of talks is scheduled, the trade unions will show how much they are ready to ease up and reach a compromise.

The unions have said that they are ready to talk. However, today they did not provide us with any concrete offer, Aladrovic said.