Since 2008 the Institute of Social Policy of the Warsaw University has been carrying out a research project concerning Polish immigration policy. Execution of an in-depth empirical study among four immigrant groups: students, interns, temporary workers and posted workers, has been an element of the research works. Additionally the research works included an analysis of the immigration systems of 13 states worldwide, development of proposals for the functioning of databases, proposals for a system aimed at monitoring of the foreigners' inflows as well as a forecast of the short-term and mid-term demand for foreign workers. This text contains three proposed options for the implementation of immigration policy in Poland, which are currently covered with social debate. This debate is supposed to conclude with the development of a single final model. The project has been commissioned by the Human Resource Development Centre and financed from the European Social Fund.

Open method of co-ordination is applied to health policy aiming at reduction of differences among EU member states in this field. In this paper assessment of convergence of health care in European Union states, according to statistical indicators published by Eurostat and OECD, was done. During the examined period the decrease in differentiation of some financial and public health indicators was found. It could be an evidence of process of health care convergence based on the open co-ordination.

The number of medical personnel performing contractual work in Poland is steadily growing regardless of the organizational form of health service institutions. The dissemination of this form of work provides both a number of opportunities and threats resulting from the changes in the fields of: civil liability of a person employed on the basis of the contract, level of remuneration, working hours and legal relationship between the parties. It results from the short balance of opportunities and threats presented in the paper that in the short-term the positive results of the switch from work contract to contracts outweigh the negative ones. In the long-term the predominance of advantages is not so obvious.

The article raises the issue of substituting employment contracts for contracts of mandate or specific task contracts in situations where an employment agreement should be concluded. It also contains a discussion on labour law provisions which are supposed to protect the workers and prevent the occurrence of such phenomena. The aim of the article is to answer the question whether legal remedies concerning that problem are sufficient.

Nowadays the tasks of local social policy became very important, because effectiveness of those tasks has strong influence on harmonious socio-economic development of the country. One of the most important tools that allow implement of local social policy is a strategy for solving social problems. The article presents the results of empirical research on strategies for solving social problems in the three administrative districts: sanocki, leski and bieszczadzki, which are part of south-eastern Poland. The article is also an attempt to answer the question whether the tested strategies for solving social problems are reliable tools for the implementation of local social policy, or just fulfilling a legal obligation.

Article is devoted to early education and upbringing of children from small towns and rural areas in the light of local strategies. It's based on analysis of eight documents, which was selected within the confines of research condacted by Institute of Labour and Social Studies. They include strategies of integration and solve social problems in four voivodships: mazowieckie, podlaskie, śląskie i małopolskie. These strategies indicate lacks in comprehensive perception of education by individual levels of local government.

Book reviews
Information

PROF. ZOFIA JACUKOWICZ - OBITUARY

- Bożena Balcerzak-Paradowska
THREE PROPOSALS OF THE POLISH IMMIGRATIOHN POLICY - Małgorzata Szylko-Skoczny, Maciej Duszczyk
CONVERGENCE OF HEALTH CARE IN EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES - Maciej Jankowiak
CONTRACT EMPLOYMENT IN NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE - A CHANCE OR A DANGER? - Dariusz Klimek
COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST SUBSTITUTING EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS FOR CIVIL LAW CONTRACTS - Urszula Brońska

STRATEGY FOR SOLVING SOCIAL PROBLEMS AS A TOOL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL SOCIAL POLICY - Piotr Frączek
PROBLEMS OF EARLY EDUCATION AND UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN FROM SMALL TOWNS AND RURAL AREAS IN THE LIGHT OF LOCAL STRATEGIES - Aneta Wójcik

EDUCATIONAL MOBILITY ON PODLASIE - Halina Sobocka-Szczapa

Juliusz Gardawski (ed.): WORKING POLES VERSUS CRISIS OF FORDISM - Reviewed by Jerzy Wratny

NEW COMMUNITY LAW ON SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM COORDINATION. ILSS SEMINAR - Beata Kaczyńska
SOCIAL BENEFITS FOR FAMILIES WITH DISABLED CHILDREN. DEBATE ILSS - Bożena Kołaczek
COMPETITION FOR THE BEST M.D. THESES AND PH.D. DISSERTATIONS IN THE FIELD OF LABOUR MARKET ISSUES AND SOCIAL POLICY - NOTICE (PUBLICATION; PROCLAMATION)