Union bosses fear other operators could follow the mass sacking of staff by P&O Ferries.
There have been protests on Merseyside afte r P&O Ferries sacked 800 workers over zoom. Today it emerged a second firm could also sack its crew and replace them with cheaper agency workers if Boris Johnson fails to block P&O’s sudden dismissal of hundreds of staff, reports the Mirror.
DFDS, which employs 2,700 crew members, lorry drivers and office staff in the UK, has told Transport Secretary Grant Shapps it will be unable to compete if P&O’s move to pay wages as low as £5.50 an hour is not overturned.
READ MORE: P&O worker speaks out after losing job, 'family' and belongings in mass sacking
The Danish firm has called for a “level playing field” so it can avoid sacking UK staff on its cross-Channel services and bringing in overseas workers on rates below the minimum wage.
A spokesman for the company said: “DFDS has written to the Secretary of State asking for a meeting to discuss how a level playing field on the Channel can be achieved for an operator like DFDS, whose crewing model employs British seafarers directly.”
The spokesman declined to comment on the possible implications for staff or the contents of the letter.
Mick Lynch, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, expressed concern for the £8bn industry.
