The study examines the effects of the financial market crisis on labor relations in the public sector across four countries. Clear differences emerge: the public sector in the UK and Spain has undergone a pronounced austerity policy following the crisis, which has significantly impacted income and employment conditions, as well as the recognition and rights of employees and trade unions. In Sweden and Germany, the situation is different. In Germany, employment conditions had already deteriorated before the crisis, but since then, incomes have been rising again. Despite all the differences in developments, restrictions on public services and a weakening of workers' rights consistently reveal themselves as a political project. The study was conducted at the Tübingen Research Institute for Labor, Technology, and Culture.