Zagreb's ambulance drivers and paramedics will return to normal operation on Wednesday, even though their strike will formally continue until the court decision banning the strike becomes final, union leader Misel Majetic told state agency Hina on Monday.

The strike committee made that decision after a Zagreb’s court ruled earlier in the day that the strike by ambulance drivers and paramedics is illegal, pending appeal.

Majetic said that all ambulances would return to their regular duties. although their union will use its right to appeal, which needs to be formally submitted within eight days. When a final ruling is delivered, the strike committee will decide what to do next, he added.

Zagreb ambulance drivers and paramedics have been on strike since Wednesday last week, demanding a pay rise which would equate their salaries with other hospital-based staff, which they say would cost some 2 million kuna (€270,000) per year.

They say the problem was created in 2011 when ambulance staff were split off from the rest of emergency medical services, which meant that the government-set salary coefficient – used to calculate salaries in all public services – ended up set lower compared to their hospital-based colleagues.

This means that ambulance drivers and paramedics are paid 2,000-3,000 kuna (€270-€400) less on average compared to their hospital-based counterparts.

Zagreb is served by 41 ambulance teams, which includes some 120 drivers and paramedics, who perform hundreds of interventions on a daily basis.

During the strike, only 30 percent of ambulance teams were at disposal for regular service.

Earlier on Monday, the head of Zagreb’s Department of Emergency Medical Services, Zarko Rasic, said that things were operating normally despite drivers being on strike for the sixth day.