This is the shocking moment P&O Ferries reportedly fired 800 staff members by video.
Employees were told their contracts were 'terminated immediately' in a crushing video shared with the BBC.
It comes as the ferry firm suspended its services today after losing £100million year on year.
A group of P&O staff occupied one of the company's ferries in protest, however they are now being dragged off by masked security workers.
In a pre-recorded video announcing mass redundancies, staff were told: "The company has made the decision that its vessels going forward will be primarily crewed by a third party crew provider
"Therefore I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy.
Were you affected by the P&O announcement? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk
"Your final day of employment is today."
Gary Jackson, who worked on the Pride of Hull, said he watched the video on Zoom.
He has not received anything in writing confirming the termination of his contract.
The P&O worker told the BBC : "We've still not received any detail further on what they will offer.
"We can see from the ship two vans, one with agency staff and the other with what we believe are security staff to remove us... and that's why the captain here lifted the gangway."
One woman, who did not want to be named, said her husband and son lost their jobs on Dover ferries overnight.
She added: "When P&O suspended sailings this morning crews were waiting on the ships with no idea what was happening - even the captains didn't know.
"Then pictures emerged of three coach loads of foreign workers waiting at ports to take their jobs.
"They were already wearing P&O uniforms - and the staff still hadn't been told they were being let go. They were told they had five minutes to get their stuff and get off the ships.
"These guys are week on week off workers who have called these ships home for half of the year every year.
"They have personal effects in lockers which they can't get to - clothes, bedding, photographs and in some cases financial documents which will be taken out and thrown."
The RMT union said the issue was "fast turning into one of the most shameful acts in the history of British industrial relations".
The general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch, said: "We have instructed our members to remain onboard and are demanding our members across P&O's UK operations are protected, and that the Secretary of State intervenes to save UK seafarers from the dole queue."
The Department for Transport (DfT) is having "urgent discussions" with P&O, according to the official spokesperson for the prime minister.
Labour MP Diana Johnson told the Commons today the mass lay-offs were "reminiscent of the worst Thatcherite policies".
She told the Commons earlier: "I understand from the RMT union that these agency staff, mainly from overseas, are in buses on the quayside with a security firm... wearing balaclavas and taking British crew off these ships."
One source said, "16 handcuff-trained security people" were involved.
P&O Ferries employs 3,000 workers and has 20 ships.
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P&O runs 30,000 voyages a year across the English Channel, North Sea and Irish Sea.
The firm has suspended sailings "for the next few days".
P&O posted on Twitter : "P&O Ferries services are unable to run for the next few days. We are advising travellers of alternative arrangements."
In January The Mirror reported that the billionaire owners of P&O Ferries stood accused of splashing out millions sponsoring a golf contest while ignoring calls to fund the firm's pension pot.
P&O Ferries cut around 1,000 staff during the pandemic, while seeking Covid bailouts.
P&O is owned by logistics firm DP World, which is in turn owned by Dubai firm Port & Free Zone World.
