The union leaders declined to comment on the meeting, only saying they were satisfied with it. They said they had accepted the invitation from the prime minister to meet on Tuesday so that they would no longer be branded as being unreasonable.

"Our aim is to have the harmful amendments withdrawn," said the head of the Croatian Association of Trade Unions, Ozren Matijasevic.

Vilim Ribic of the Confederation of Croatian Trade Unions said that if the government stuck to its position and pushed the amendments through Parliament, the trade unions would organise a general strike.

Kresimir Sever of the Croatian Independent Trade Unions said the trade unions were continuing preparations for a referendum on the disputed amendments and for a general meeting of all the trade union federations.