POLAND’S most literal labour market begins shortly after dawn. About 30 women and a similar number of men wait in separate groups beside a road half an hour’s drive south of Warsaw. The eager crane their necks to search for cars, the more resigned pace and smoke. When a Volvo pulls up they dash towards it, awaiting offers of work. The youngest is 20, the oldest a gap-toothed 53-year-old. All are Ukrainian.
The number of Ukrainians in Poland has soared since fighting began in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Around 1m are estimated to be working in Poland at any time. Most did not flee the war but its economic consequences: a recession that lasted two years, unemployment and a plunging currency.
They can earn five times more than at home, picking tomatoes, mixing cement or driving for Uber, the ride-sharing firm. Companies can register them to work for six months at a time, but some, like those at the roadside, work illegally. Ivan, 28, glugs an energy drink as he waits...Continue reading
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