At the New Szczecin Shipyard, which dominates the the north-western Polish port of Szczecin, workers are disappearing to work in western Europe in such large numbers that managers can barely cope.

Out of a payroll of 5,500 workers, 1,200 left last year – most of them experienced welders, fitters, electricians and other skilled craftsmen who were impossible to replace. Jacek Tatarowicz, the production director, says: “On some days, five or seven people would disappear without warning. The people who leave are people with 10 years or more experience. We have to take on inexperienced youngsters. This costs us a lot but we will carry on training new workers.”