ABSTRACT
The aim of the chapter is doublefold: to present the outcomes of the research on relation between major changes in the healthcare system in Poland and the work practices experienced by nurses and midwives, analysed within the framework of care work. The specifics of care work lies in its vulnerability to time pressures and work intensification. Its quality relies much on the possibility to perform it as teamwork. One of its core values is the possibility to establish a relation with the patient. Secondly, it aims to look at the trade union strategies regarding those changes, with a special focus on the actions of All-Poland Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives, one of the most militant trade union organisations in Poland, which puts the quality of care work in the centre of its agenda.
