P&O Ferries faces backlash after firing 800 workers

A backlash against P&O Ferries is growing after the firm sacked 800 staff without giving them any notice.

Maritime minister Robert Courts said he was "frankly angry at the way workers have been treated". He told the House of Commons P&O's actions were "wholly unacceptable". Mr Courts said the company had told him it will be suspending services for a week to 10 days "while they locate new crew" on the Dover to Calais, Larne to Cairnryan, Dublin to Liverpool and Hull to Rotterdam routes.Labour shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "There are images circulating of what we are told are handcuff-trained security, some wearing balaclavas, marching British crew off their ships.

P&O claimed almost £15m in government grants in 2020, which included furlough payments for its employees. Transporting up to 15% of all imported goods into the UK, and carrying 10 million passengers every year, P&O Ferries would've looked a profitable bet when it was bought up by the Dubai-based ports operator DP World.DP World asked the UK government in 2020 for £150m of direct aid to safeguard what it called vital supply routes and jobs.

Disgraceful. Shocked that this is allowed under employment law in 2022.

Unfortunately when P&O reflagged their vessels to EU member state Cyprus, UK employment/maritime law no longer applies to their seafarers.

people don't seem to understand that a job is a business transaction, not partnership. When you work for a company you provide a service and they pay you, ye aren't part of the business. What would you think if barber kicked up fuss, if you decided to get a haircut somwhr beter?

RMTunion encouraged voting for brexit. Check out points 2 and 3 specifically. Mind blowing.

So that's the backlash from everyone except the people that could actually do something about it. The government. Who allow fire and hire as a legal practice in the UK, along with zero hour contracts. So if you backed Johnson to get Brexit done, own it.

You might consider before taking a ferry, if the crew are trained, competent and thoroughly steeped in the running and emergency procedures of their ship, or if it is run by contract staff, who last week were agency workers sweeping streets.

Is someone going to address the photos of balaclava clad group with handcuffs Conservatives UKLabour LibDems - this Dubai based company should have all contracts cancelled immediately. If not, we need to know why?

Massive own goal for P&O, can now see them going out of business.

Unions to blame. Incompetent and culpable.

I bet 52% of these people voted for Brexit though, what exactly did they think that meant?

Anybody thinking their govt cares needs help

I don’t believe in unions, and if i was one of the workers I’d be asking for my payments back

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