"Right now, hyenas are preying on our property. Corporate social responsibility and human wellbeing are concepts completely alien to them. Many of our companies are fine because they started collaborating with universities and scientists. A sale would completely ruin that. We cannot let this happen, unless we want to become an even bigger colony than we already are," head of the ZSSS trade union Dušan Semolič said outside the government building.

He maintains that the government's privatization plans are completely inadequate because they are detrimental both economically and socially, and that employees will be the first on the chopping block. "No price could justify such a fire sale, because the proceeds will be swallowed up by the black hole in the national budget," he said as a crowd of 500 protesters cheered to the sound of wailing sirens, piercing whistles and swishing rattles on Gregorčičeva Street.

Semolič noted that no-one advocated a "fire sale" in the run-up to elections. "This is the reason why politicians lose credibility with people – the type of credibility that really matters," he added.

According to Semolič, the unions called upon the government to halt privatization plans, and instead proceed to work out a strategy. "We mustn't sell these companies off. We can't bend over backwards to cover our budget shortfall, which is the result of bank bailouts," he warned.

T. H. ; translated by D. V.