Slovenian students protest bill limiting working hours

BELGRADE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Up to an estimated 10,000 Slovenian students on Wednesday descended on Ljubljana's landmark Preseren Square to protest a bill before parliament that would limit working hours for students and tax their earnings, reported the Slovenian news agency STA.

Police were out in force as some students en route to the rally reportedly pelted the parliament building with eggs, breaking windows and setting a nearby shrub on fire.

The "mini jobs" bill would put a cap on students' earning of 6,000 euros and 720 hours annually. This would be subject to a 30 percent tax rate.

Katja Soba, of the SOS university student organization, told the protesters that by limiting students' rights to earn money the authorities were denying her generation access to public education that previous ones had enjoyed.

"They had sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll; we'll have mini jobs and loans to pay," she said.

At a press conference prior to the student rally, Minister of Labor, Family and Social Affairs Ivan Svetlik told reporters that the bill was designed to limit the influence of employment agencies, which had profited on student labor, earning more than 15 million euros in 2008.

Svetlik said a student's primary job was that of studying and that his government was planning to increase scholarship funding.

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