Eventually the government was forced to negotiate and on August 31, 1980, workers at the massive Lenin shipyard in Gdansk, led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, signed a deal giving workers the right to strike and form trade unions.

CNN: Poland: From Soviet satellite to 'Tiger of Europe'

Among the latest bidders for the yard is the third Polish shipyard, Gdynia, which wants Gdansk for its steel-working capacity.

ECONOMIST: Shipbuilding