You would think that with their glorious and recent history of trade unionism the Poles would know a thing or two about striking. Today’s Dziennik carries a story about the doctors’ strike. It seems that the good doctors are manning the picket lines in their public hospitals in the morning and then, in the balmy afternoons, gracefully retiring to their oak-panelled private consultancy chambers where those members of the public who were denied state treatment earlier during the day can now buy it from the “striking” doctors.

The article is accompanied by a picture of Dr. Andrzej Spisak, his hands spread out in wide-eyed wonder that anyone might find this behaviour anything less than ethical. His lab coat bears the name of a limited company…