P&O Ferries has fired 800 maritime employees, but some crew members are ignoring orders and refusing to leave their ships in protest.
Workers were reportedly informed of the situation through video calls. The “difficult decision” was made to ensure the company’s future, according to the firm.
Crew members are being replaced with foreign labor, according to the RMT union.
P&O Ferries has warned that its services will be unavailable for the “next few days,” and passengers have been urged to utilize other firms.
The ferry company added that its existence depended on “making rapid and major adjustments now.”
“P&O Ferries is not a profitable business in its current state.” We had a £100 million loss last year, which was covered by our parent DP World.
This is not a realistic choice. P&O Ferries has no future until these adjustments are made.”
According to the RMT, private security officials have been sent to a ship. It is parked in Larne Harbour in Northern Ireland to remove crew members.
“crew members docked in Hull have been warned of their job losses. Through a pre-recorded Zoom message at 11 a.m. “, Gary Jackson, a full-time officer onboard the Pride of Hull commented.
However, they had not received any official communication from the company.
“We’re still waiting for more information on what they’ll offer. We can see two vans from the ship, one with agency personnel.
Along with, what we believe are security personnel, coming to take us away. which is why the captain here lifted the passageway.”
Also read: UK businesses call on government to drop gendered term ‘chairman’
“New foreign staff [are] waiting to join the Pride of Hull,” stated East Hull Labour MP Karl Turner. Meanwhile, the present crew onboard has started a “sit-in.”
However, some contractors, on the other hand, are stuck onboard the ship and are unable to leave.
Keith Davis, who was on board the Pride of Hull to repair kitchen equipment, said he and eight other contractors were trapped on board after the skipper raised the gangway.
