ABSTRACT
Employment in the Polish maritime sector was always a central concern and the whole communist system focused on matching the number of employees available with the number of jobs. In 1969, around 160,000 persons were employed in the maritime economy - equal to the number in the metallurgical or textile industries. One of the methods ensuring the proper employment structure was a careful choice of candidates. Between 1970 and 1978, there was almost a five-fold increase in the number of employees with university education, whereas the total number employed increased by only 21". Graduates from the Merchant Navy Academy in Gdynia were given first priority, the first taken in 1973, and totalled 960 by 1979. By 1987, a new concern was beginning to emerge in terms of employment on Polish ships and that was over-manning. Major issues that needed to be analysed included the effects of crew reduction upon safety, ship maintenance, social-psychological aspects and navigation.
