Shoppers in the UK could face shortages of fresh food if disruption caused by P&O Ferries does not resolve quickly, a business group has warned. The British Retail Consortium said retailers are working to reduce the impact on the supply chain after the shipping company suddenly suspended its services this week, reports the Mirror.
P&O has come under fire since sacking 800 employees without notice. Many were told via video message on Thursday that it would be the final day of their employment. The cancellations of the routes mean fresh vegetables, fruit, cheese and wine are no longer arriving.
Union-backed protests have been staged at ports including Dover, Liverpool and Hull while the UK government has questioned the legality of the mass-redundancy. P&O said the decision was taken "as a last resort".
Speaking to the MailOnline, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium Andrew Opie said businesses were doing all they can to reduce the risk of hindering the supply chain. He said: "Retailers are working with other ferry companies to ensure disruption to P&O ferry services do not interfere with the movement of fresh food between GB, NI and EU.
"Nonetheless, a prolonged interruption to P&O services, who are an important part of UK supply chains, could eventually impact the flow of goods. We urge the ferry company and union to find a speedy resolution to the current issues."
P&O initially said that some services were being cancelled for “several days” but that then reportedly was extended to 10 days as it arranges for agency cover. The company, owned by Dubai-based DP World, usually transports 15 per cent of the UK's freight.
Maritime minister Robert Courts said: "Government modelling reportedly suggests that there is sufficient capacity to handle the temporary loss of the P&O ferries. However, considering the significant role the organization plays in freight shipping across the Channel, some supply chains will see disruption."
Edward Adamson, a sheep farmer from County Antrim in Northern Ireland, said he may have to kill some sheep if the ferry crisis continues. He told The Sun : "There is no route to the UK mainland for us otherwise. We produce more animals than we need you see and we can't just keep them.
"We just hope it doesn't last long and will just have to hold on. We can last about three months but then we will have to trade within Northern Ireland and the rest will be slaughtered."
In a statement, P&O Ferries said: "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."
