The meeting was not attended by deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, who is in charge of public services issues, and Finance Minister Ivan Suker who is in charge of the financial part of the negotiations, trade union coordinator Spomenka Avbersek told Hina.
The unionists left the meeting and asked that a new meeting, attended by Kosor and Suker, be scheduled for tomorrow, as negotiations cannot start without them, " Avbersek said.
The meeting, however, was attended by state secretaries of some ministries who are not authorised to conduct serious negotiations, unions said.
The coordinating body of trade unions of public services issued a statement accusing the government of avoiding negotiations.
Although the government should adopt a draft budget tomorrow, negotiations on budgetary wages and compensations have not yet been held this year, which is why the unions are preparing a strike on behalf of 150,000 people, the statement said.
Seven unions of public servants demand that the basic wage in 2005 be increased by six percent and that wages be gradually increased by 12 percent over the period of next three years.