A P&O Ferries worker says the firm's shock lay-off of 800 staff has caused upset from parents unsure how they will pay their mortgages or feed their children.
Yesterday P&O Ferries laid off hundreds of employees over video call and plans to replace them with cheap agency staff.
The move has sparked outcry from union bosses and politicians, with some members of staff refusing to leave one of the ferries in protest.
Demonstrations are taking place today in Dover, Hull and Liverpool.
One of the demonstrators, who wants to stay anonymous, said he was laid off by the ferry firm after 30 years of service.
The man, who joined P&O straight out of school, said: "Yes, we've lost our jobs. But we've also lost our lives to an extent.
"We spent half of lives on board those ferries. We had our own cabins, we kitted them out with our own things. It's all been ripped away from us.
"The guys had 15 minutes to pack up and get off. I've seen grown men in tears worrying how they will pay their mortgage and feed their kids."
But the protester said morale was high on the picket line and that the demonstrators, as well as other unions and local residents, were up for the fight.
"People are going to fight it," he said. "We don't want redundancy packages. My packet is less than a tenth of what I'd earn in the rest of my working life.
"I want my job back. why should it be taken away from me and given to someone else? Everything I've had has been earned and fought for with collective bargaining.
"It's madness, when it should have been a job for life."
The mass lay-offs will also have a massive impact on the affected ports, where large numbers of staff work or have worked for P&O Ferries.
The demonstrating P&O worker added: "This is going to have a devastating effect on the area. people's spare money - not that they've got a lot with the cost of living - it's going to hit local businesses."
The mother of a laid-off P&O Ferries worker told The Mirror: "They are a really brutal company. In my opinion what they are doing to Dover will decimate the town.
"There are so many people that work there and have links to P&O."
P&O employs 3,000 workers and has 20 ships.
A spokesperson for P&O Ferries said: "We know that for our staff this redundancy came without warning or prior consultation, and we fully understand that this has caused distress for them and their families.
“We took this difficult decision as a last resort and only after full consideration of all other options but, ultimately, we concluded that the business wouldn’t survive without fundamentally changed crewing arrangements, which in turn would inevitably result in redundancies.
“We also took the view, in good faith, that reaching agreement on the way forward would be impossible and against this background, that the process itself would be highly disruptive, not just for the business but for UK trade and tourism."
