Table 2 Collective reactions to the reforms in the 1990s

Argentina

Doctors

Demonstrations over linkages between changes in payment structures and health care outputs

Canada (Alberta)

Laundry personnel

Budget cuts and administrative reorganization. Although strikes were forbidden, laundry personnel stopped activities and caused a setback of the policies.

Canada (Quebec)

Doctors

Freezing the fee for medical procedures in the process of reducing health budget. As a result, the number of available hours was reduced.

Chile

Doctors

Demonstrations over linkages between changes in payment structures and health care outputs

Dominican Republic

Doctors

Demonstrations over linkages between changes in payment structures and health care outputs

France

Civil Service

Proposal of changing public service status sparked strikes and demonstrations.

Junior Doctors (Residents)

Introduction of managed care and personalized medical cards were resisted by a strike of junior doctors.

Germany

Doctors and Nurses

Opposition to the government's efforts to curb health expenditures.

Doctors

Dispute with doctors about being accountable for prescription budgets.

Nurses

Nursing organizations were concerned with deregulation of nursing workloads and the consequences in the quality of care.

Israel

Nurses

Strike over a dispute following decentralization of 500 family health stations to the municipalities without proper financing.

Romania

Health personnel

Strikes and demonstrations about discrepancies between wage rise and inflation

Russia

Health personnel

Local and national strikes about non-payment of wages.

South Africa

Nurses

Nurses went on strike for working conditions and representation in "umbrella" organizations.

Sweden

Doctors Nurses

Decentralized bargaining to counties followed by strikes of medical and nursing staff.