P&O Ferries has been accused of trying to cut the pay of the new cheap foreign staff who were brought in to replace 800 seafarers suddenly sacked over Zoom a month ago. Union leaders say the replacement agency staff were given just a one-month contract at the start of their employment and are now being asked to sign new contracts on even lower pay.
Workers say chefs paid £2,336 a month on temporary contracts were asked to sign new deals giving them £195 a month less, reports The Mirror. Some crew earn just £748 a month for a 40-hour week – £4.30 an hour.
The new crew was hired through Malta-based International Ferry Management, set up in February. In the email seen by the Sunday Mirror, a Romanian chef claimed IFM and P&O were trying to make agency crew sign new contracts.
He said: “They don’t care about rights. This is my sixth day working without contract, please help us. They try to give us less money. We are desperate.”
Sources close to P&O Ferries last night denied trying to amend rates of pay. But a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: “Prior to reinspecting the Spirit of Britain yesterday, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency received a complaint via the RMT, that a seafarer had been asked to sign a contract with reduced wages. As part of the re-inspection the MCA investigated and as a result the affected seafarers were issued with amended contracts, which reverted to their original wages.”
The RMT was allowed to board the ship last week and speak to crew.
Darren Procter, national secretary of the RMT said: “I spoke with three Honduran crew and explained they only have 50 minutes in port and will not set foot on dry land for shore leave for 17 weeks – as there is no time to do so. The colour drained from their faces and I think they realised they were joining a ferry and not a P&O cruise ship!
“Their contract is basic pay of $961 per month for 40 hours work per week. This equates to £748 per month on board a vessel, away from loved ones on the most intensive ferry route in UK.”
P&O has said the 800 sackings came after £100million-a-year losses jeopardised all 3,000 staff. The company, which refused to comment when approached by The Mirror, was bought back for £322milion in 2019 by Dubai-based DP World, which first owned it in 2006.
