The Police Officers Union (SPS) on Tuesday supported a strike by education unions and announced a protest rally and a strike to fight for a better financial and social status of police.

The SPS said in a press release it was showing solidarity with teachers in their fight for a better financial and social status which, it added, they deserve.

Police officers are in a similar situation as they are underpaid and at the bottom of the social ladder, the only difference being that education workers have unanimous and agile representative unions which negotiate with arguments and can’t be bought or cheated, the SPS said.

Police have representative unions of state administration employees “who only nod and sign what they are offered.”

The SPS accused the Interior Ministry top brass of discriminating against non-representative unions for years and agreeing “certain things under the table at the expense of police officers,” with the three representative unions.

The SPS will poll police about participating in protests and a strike. Depending on the results, the union will launch actions which will “intensify when Croatia chairs the Council of the European Union” in the first half of 2020.

Independent Croatian Trade Unions (NHS) president Kresimir Sever also supported the protesting school unions.