ABSTRACT
The role of social services in the Polish shipping sector was extensive and mirrored that of all sectors of the Polish economy under the communist regime. It was one of the most obvious characteristics of the system that differentiated it from the west and in some ways was one of its greatest losses after 1989. We shall examine here a wide range of services provided for shipping workers - seafarers and officers - ranging from health care and creches to library facilities, film theatres and the decor of the ships themselves.
