Some of the media reported on Thursday that the leaders of eight trade unions were secretly preparing a coup to overthrow the government and reinstate the wage index for civil and public servants, which was recently cut by three percent, to the level before the the cut was made and to strengthen pressure on the government by causing a general strike and calling a referendum for an early election.

The president of the "Matica hrvatskih sindikata" union federation (MHS), Vilim Ribic, told a news conference today that unions had announced a protest rally for 1 May, International Workers' Day, saying this was no secret or a secret plan to topple the government, but a usual meeting of unionists.

"There are no secrets, we have addressed the issue of early elections at the MHS convention," Ribic told reporters, adding that certain press published sensational headlines about a topic that did not deserve to make the headlines, as it is normal that citizens and not union federations topple governments.

This entire fuss was made following a working document we discussed and which I did not draw up, as the press allege, but was put together by Sinisa Kuhar of the trade union representing civil servants and employees, Ribic said.