Justice Minister Ivan Malenica said on Friday the State Attorney's Office (DORH) lodged an application to ban a strike of judges and employees in the judiciary, as it believes that no conditions have been met for that industrial action.

Now it us up to the competent court to rule on the legality of the strike, the minister told the press after a government meeting.

Over the last weeks, the government and the union of employees in state administration (SDLS) underwent a reconciliation procedure and discussed plans for a pay rise.

The new act on wages is being hammered out, and the draft bill is expected to be put to public consultation next week.

The whole reform is expected to be finished in early 2024, said the minister, adding that the reform will definitely result in a pay rose for employees in state administration and in the judicial sector.

A meeting with judicial police officers is scheduled for Monday, the minister added.

He recalled that in 2019, about 70% of employees in courts got a pay rise, and that about 20% of workers got a rise on coefficients this year. In addition, the base pay has risen, and collective bargaining is to be wrapped up his year, the minister said.