In the spotlight: Krzysztof Bukiel

As the doctor's strike enters its fourth week, Bukiel seems to be gaining energy rather than losing it, going so far as to encourage doctors to leave their jobs in protest against the government's attitude towards OZZL.

Bukiel and OZZL have been standing firm on their call for more money to be put into the healthcare system. The demands: zł.1 billion for the National Health Fund (NFZ); a gradual increase in healthcare spending, from the current four percent of GDP to six percent by 2009; privatization of many hospitals; and a significant wage increase for doctors.

Bukiel has also managed to withstand government officials' attacks against the striking doctors and has adroitly scored hits of his own, noting that spending six percent of GDP on healthcare was one Law and Justice's (PiS) election promises. He has also criticized the Prime Minister for "not wanting to have a fact-based discussion with the doctors." When PM Jarosław Kaczyński remarked that the doctors demands were against "the Solidarity state," Bukiel replied that the fact that Poland's expenditure on healthcare is the lowest in Europe was also against it.

In an act of defiance when the government tried to weaken OZZL's bargaining position, Bukiel walked out of negotiations with Deputy Prime Minister Przemysław Gosiewski after it turned out that a number of other medical trade unions, which weren't taking part in the strike, had been invited to discuss the healthcare issues. At the end of last week, there were around 250 hospitals striking (out of around 600 public ones). Doctors from at least 21 hospitals have submitted their notices.