Workers from the Gorenje factory in Slovenia went on strike on September 15, and the following day, September 16, they barricaded the entire factory in protest at low pay, the Bulgarian news agency BTA has reported, citing the Serbian B52 television channel.

According to the report, the strike quickly engulfed "all branches and departments in the factory and quickly grew into a general strike".

Workers are unhappy about their wages, which vary from a meagre 280 to 400 euro, in spite of being forced to work extra hours. The general strike has received the full backing of the syndicate, which, initially, was accused by factory workers of collaborating with the management board.

Reports claim that when levels of disillusionment reached  boiling point in 2008, workers were told they would be axed if they spoke to the media about the situation. As a consequence, their working circumstances altered so that "the more they worked, the less they were paid".

"We have saved Gorenje on several occasions now, be it a global economic crisis or not, but they have to understand that now we are in a crisis – we have nothing to eat," said one anonymous worker.

Workers are determined to keep the factory shut and remain inside until their demands are met.

Gorenje is the most prominent Slovenian manufacturer of home electric appliances. With its share of about four per cent, it is one of Europe's eight largest manufacturers of home appliances.

Electric appliances are marketed under company's own brands: Gorenje, Mora, Atag, Pelgrim, Etna, Korting and Sidex. They are produced in the main production facility in Velenje as well as at the cooking appliances plant Mora Moravia in the Czech Republic, as well as the fridge-freezer plant in Valjevo Serbia.

The company was founded in 1950, and gradually transformed itself into a multinational corporation. Currently, within the Gorenje family, there are 83 affiliated companies, 59 of which are outside Slovenia.

Gorenje has also branched into other sectors, producing ceramics, kitchen and bathroom furniture, in addition to providing services in the fields of energy, ecology and trade.