Slovenian customs strike creates jams

Slovenian customs officials took industrial action, slowing traffic and forcing trucks at the border with Croatia to wait for up to eight hours.

The work-to-rule started less than a month before Slovenia, which joined the European Union in 2004, becomes a part of the border-free Schengen area.

At the same time, it must impose a much stricter regime on its border with Croatia, which is not an EU member yet.

The customs officers' union wants a faster increase of salaries than planned by the government and a clear programme for deployment of the officers when Croatia joins the EU.

When Croatia becomes an EU member, expected by 2011, the border between Slovenia and Croatia will virtually disappear and make customs redundant.

They also demand customs officers be exempt from the government's plan to cut the civil service by some 2%.

"The government has to come up with a binding plan of what will happen with the officers after Croatia joins the EU," Dusan Pecnik, a leader of customs officials' union said.

Negotiations with the government are due on Tuesday.