Summary

Focusing on four countries - Czech Republic, Lithuania, Romania and Ukraine - this project attempts to gauge how restructuring has affected the working conditions of individual health care workers. From the 2,215 replies to a questionnaire returned by health care workers, the analysis treats a wide range of issues, including hours worked, overtime work and overtime pay, relative earnings, non-payment of wages, changes in job tasks, job security and the role of unions in defending workers. It identifies a number of threats faced by workers, including the threat of job loss, income insecurity, and poverty and bargaining disenfranchisement.