The topic of today's meeting was again not the contents of the agreement but alleged pressure on the strikers, notably Babic, president of the doctors' union, he and Prasnjak told reporters.

They said that social dialogue would be launched and negotiations resume only when it was established who had defamed Babic and in whose interests, and who was responsible for the pressure on the striking hospital staff.

Asked by the press before the meeting if he had asked for Ostojic's resignation, Babic said he was misinterpreted.

Ostojic reiterated that the ministry was open for negotiations and social dialogue, and that he believed everything could be solved in seven to ten days. "It's important to sit at the table and end this story," he said, adding that the patients and the colleagues expected this too.