They believe that the San Francisco-based ride-sharing company would “curtail workers’ rights even further”.

“The government should think twice before promoting precarious forms of work,” said Tea Jarc of Mladi plus. She maintains that Uber is an employer, even though the company refuses to acknowledge that fact.

The NGOs and unions said that the government is misleading the public by claiming Uber would have a positive impact on the local economy. They also stressed that Uber does not provide cheaper services: “They’re only cheaper because they don't pay their employees benefits. This should be a concern to all of us. We have to decide what kind of country we want to live in. Not paying one’s fair share of taxes might translate into cheaper fares, but this also means that our public health and school systems will be underfunded.”

The NGOs and unions printed out some of the government’s misleading claims about Uber and attached them to pumpkins (in colloquial Slovene, the word pumpkin is used as a synonym for “nonsense”). The pumpkins were then put on display in front of the Public Administration Ministry. The unions are adamant that the government should fight rather than promote precarious work. “Instead of allowing exploitation, the government should create conditions that improve the welfare of its citizens,” said David Švarc, the head of the Slovenian Free Trade Union.

Luka Lukič; translated by D.V.