(dpa) - Trade union members from across Europe flocked to the Slovenian capital Saturday to demonstrate for tighter regulation of financial markets while European Union finance officials met nearby.
The roughly 30,000 protesters, including some of the continent's top labour leaders, also called for higher pay and minimum wages in all EU countries.
"The international financial crisis is costing us millions in taxes - and confidence," Michael Sommer, head of the powerful German Labour Federation, said in prepared remarks. "European regulations as well as common international standards are needed."
The march was timed to coincide with a meeting of EU finance ministers and central bank chiefs at Brdo, Slovenia, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) outside Ljubljana.
The finance officials agreed Friday to seek greater national and cross-border supervision of EU financial companies with global operations - a reaction to the worldwide fallout from last year's US home mortgage crisis.
Slovenia holds the EU's rotating six-month presidency through June.