All of P&O Ferries' sailing staff have reportedly been made redundant after services were suspended earlier today. ITV News said the redundancy is with ‘immediate effect’.
The ferries will be kept running with agency staff, ITV News reported. P&O sailing staff will be able to apply for work with the agency.
ITV's Shehab Khan said on Twitter: "Understand that all sailing staff at P&O Ferries have been made redundant with immediate effect. The company will use an agency to keep their ferries running and current staff will be able to apply to the agency for work."
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P&O Ferries had suspended sailings amid speculation it is preparing to sack hundreds of workers. The ferry operator said in an internal statement on Thursday morning it will make “a major announcement” which will “secure the long-term viability of P&O Ferries”.
Labour MP Karl Turner posted a photograph of a coach which he stated contained “new foreign crew waiting to board the Pride of Hull” at King George Dock, Hull. Members of the RMT union are “sitting in onboard the vessel”, so the new crew “will not be boarding her”, he wrote.
Mr Turner added: “We understand that both current officers and ratings are to be sacked.”
Speaking to the PA news agency, one driver in Calais due to return to the UK said he had been waiting for a ferry since 6am. “More than anything I’m frustrated at the fact nobody from P&O was there to help and advise … I’ve never had such shoddy service from anybody.”
The driver, who wished to remain nameless, said he had been able to rebook with DFDS, saying: “I’ve had to exit the port and go through the entire process again, not to mention paying for another ticket at a higher price with them.”
“I would have appreciated somebody at least telling us what to do”, he added.
Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch previously said there is “growing speculation that the company are today planning to sack hundreds of UK seafarers and replace them with foreign labour”.
He added: “We have instructed our members to remain on board 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.”
P&O Ferries said in the statement that “to facilitate this announcement all our vessels have been asked to discharge their passengers and cargo and stand by for further instructions”. It added: “This means we’re expecting all our ports to experience serious disruption today.”
It later posted on Twitter: “P&O Ferries services are unable to run for the next few days. We are advising travellers of alternative arrangements.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the House of Commons he is “concerned” by the situation. He said: “I understand they have temporarily paused their operations and that’s causing disruption at the short straits – Calais-Dover – as well as some other ports.
“I’m working with the Kent Resilience Forum and I’ve just instructed them to become intricately involved, and other partners in this, and we’ll be taking steps later today – including ensuring that my officials will be having urgent discussions with P&O about the situation, particularly of concern for their workers.”
A spokesman for the firm said: “P&O Ferries is not going into liquidation. We have asked all ships to come alongside, in preparation for a company announcement. Until then, services from P&O will not be running and we are advising travellers of alternative arrangements.”
P&O Ferries, which transports passengers and freight, has nearly 4,000 employees. It was bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World for £322 million in 2019.
It operates four routes: Dover to Calais; Hull to Rotterdam; Liverpool to Dublin; and Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland. Sailings between Hull and Zeebrugge, Belgium, were axed in January 2021.
