This Morning’s Dermot O’Leary has said he is “uncomfortable” using P&O Ferries in the future following the brutal sacking of 800 staff members over a Zoom video yesterday.
Stunned staff found out their contracts had been “terminated immediately” through a pre-recorded Zoom video, saying it was “not a viable business” in its current state, with all services suspended for a number of days.
The staff are set to be replaced by agency workers and the decision has reportedly created widespread confusion at ports, with passengers taken off ferries and told to wait for information.
The CEO of the firm said they were forced to take the “difficult but necessary” decision after losing £100million year on year.
This Morning discussed the mass sackings on Friday’s programme, with Dermot O’Leary opening up about his own conflicted feelings about the ferry firm given his cousin’s lifelong job in the sector.
Sitting alongside co-host Alison Hammond, he said: “Surely there’s ways of going about it instead of treating people like this.
“I have a cousin of mine who worked on the ferries between Ireland his whole life - it’s a big part of their identity. You’ve got to treat people with respect.”
Guest Gyles Brandreth agreed, describing the move as “deeply shocking”, before Dermot replied: “I think a lot of people - I know I feel like this - will be uncomfortable using P&O off the back of this.”
Fellow guest Nicola Thorp described the move as a “PR disaster”, adding: “I think they’ll be regretting not just the decision they’ve made, even if it was a difficult decision and they felt like their hands were tied, but the manner in which they’ve done it I think is disgusting.”
CEO Peter Hebblethwaite said he stands by his decision to replace the fired staff with agency workers who will reduce the firm's crewing costs by 50 percent, while Hull's Labour MP Karl Turner described the mass redundancies as “disgraceful”.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) is reportedly seeking legal advice to challenge the sackings.
It said the UK has seen one of the most “vicious examples of despotic employer behaviour” and one of the most shameful episodes in its recent industrial history.
Announcing the decision on Thursday, the ferry operator, bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, insisted the decision to cut jobs was “very difficult but necessary” as it was “not a viable business” in its current state.
The union called for mass trade union and wider public support for demonstrations in Dover, Liverpool and Hull on Friday.
P&O Ferries said in a statement: “We have made a £100 million loss year-on-year, which has been covered by our parent, DP World. This is not sustainable.
“Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
