P&O ferries sack all their British staff

[Rob Lightbody]

This might give some of you deja vu...

All UK staff made redundant with immediate effect, to be replaced by cheaper, foreign non union workers.  Includes all the crews including officers and captains.

BBC News - P&O Ferries sacks 800 workers but crew refuse to leave ships
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60779001

Some of the workers are staging a sit in, and have pulled up the gangplanks.

Thoughts with the hard working crews, who have coped with both brexit and COVID and now this is their thanks.

[cunardqueen]

Thoughts with the hard working crews, who have coped with both brexit and COVID and now this is their thanks.   

And thinking of the QE2 crew in 1986 and again when QE2 re-entered service in April 1987. However Cunard wouldn't  treat the crew like this, or were they just as bad . Reemploying staff on half the wages and vastly different contracts But if a company is losing a  Hundred Million a year. That is eye-watering losses, But surely this could  have been handled better. Doing this action while crew are onboard and now with lorries with perishable goods that are time critical is just asking for trouble. 

Thoughts with the hard working crews, who have coped with both Brexit and COVID, and now this is their thanks. 

Indeed no crew should ever be treated like this, but the owner is DWP and lets face it  Duba have a hellish human rights record, lv always said l would never set foot in that place.   
And some might say there is no thanks for working during that time.   

[Thomas Hypher]

An absolute disgrace to put it mildly, and a decision that's not going to save P&O Ferries from losing so much money - the causes of losing money being elsewhere and the British crew being convenient scapegoats/cannon fodder. Incidentally, P&O Ferries have spent several £100s millions on new hybrid ferries being built in China as we speak - is that something a company losing £100 million each year should be doing???

One of my friends from Warsash has also been directly affected and I am not sure what she will do now regarding her cadetship. She was asked to join the new foreign crew, after all the crew were ordered off the ship, but decided not to and then had to plead for some time to be let on the bus transporting the rest of the (British) crew on the first part of their journey home from Rotterdam where their ferry is in a refit that is dragging on due to a major but thankfully early spotted mechanical issue and an Aida ship is occupying the drydock the ferry needs.

[Rob Lightbody]

Question : does this bring them into line with other ferry operators that they are competing with?

Apparently they're using "international ferry management" IFM and staff costs will be halved.

[Thomas Hypher]

Stena still employ British seafarers at least partly on routes to and from the UK, such as on their UK to Holland route. I don't know if Irish Ferries employing Irish or British seafarers but their ships are registered in Cyprus as have P&O Ferries' ships for some years now. DFDS still employ British seafarers at least partially too I believe. This wholesale change by P&O Ferries is not matched by their competitors as far as I know.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

There is a link with Brexit... this sort of mass sacking would not be permissible under current EU law...

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/uk-government-faces-emergency-vote-on-p-o-ferries-sackings-1.4831650?

Irish Ferries got away with it in 2005 but could not do it now.

[Rob Lightbody]

There is a link with Brexit... this sort of mass sacking would not be permissible under current EU law...

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/uk-government-faces-emergency-vote-on-p-o-ferries-sackings-1.4831650?

Irish Ferries got away with it in 2005 but could not do it now.

But they said that the UK hasn't changed any laws yet, and is still fully aligned with the EU laws. 

Also the CEO has admitted that what they did was illegal.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

This affair may now lead to legislative change, possibly even affecting Irish crews.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/british-legislative-plans-against-p-o-could-impact-irish-ferries-1.4838603?

The article mentions that these crew replacements were possible because the ships are operating in "international waters". Are they not international only because the UK is no longer part of the EU? Just thinking aloud...

If I read the article well, the illegality that occurred with the P&O dismissals was the failure to consult the trade unions. That of course is a different matter.

[Andy Holloway]

Also of interest is the fact that two of their 're crewed' ferries have been banned from sailing by MCA.

Now i might be barking up the wrong tree but, the cynic in me wonders if the reason is anything to do with the certificates held by the 'new' crew, or possibly not held of them!

During my time with Seabourn were in Halifax NS and Transport Canadian arrived to do an Inspection. When it came to the Security Officer part al lwas in order until they wanted to see the certificate of the 'designated' Security Officer, which for some reason best known only to Seabourn themselves was The Staff Captain. So off we go up to the SC's Office and he gets out his certificate, immediately the Transport Canada inspector shook his head and said that SC's certificate was invalid as it didn't have a later validation number, that had been in force for about 12 months by then. He then turned to me and asked to see my certificate when low and behold, and i knew what was coming by then, i had the correct validation number! They then threw the proverbial 'spanner in the woks' by telling the SC that he could  not function as the 'Designated Security Officer' and the my name would have to be inserted on all the paperwork as the holder of this position, at least for the period we were in Canadian waters, which was for about another 5 weeks! 

Fortunately for Seabourn we were their only ship visiting Canada that season, so by the following year all the SCs 'fortunately' had the required validation number added to their Security Officer certificates. 

[Andy Holloway]

Thinking a bit more on this and especially the MCA decision to refuse sailing, I'm open to correction of % but, i remember that there is an MCA regulation that says that if a certain % of a crew changes then there has to be a full Fire & Emergency Drill. I'm open to exactly what that % it is but, i think it's around 35/40%. It appears that P&O Ferries changed virtually 100% of crew so definitely fell into this regulation. When you consider that possibly none of the 'new' crew would have the slightest idea about the layout of the ship, let alone any training in their roles in an Emergency, i think that the MCA did everybody a favour in refusing the allow these ferries to sail. 

[Rob Lightbody]

And lo and behold, record profits are declared for the shareholders....

P&O Ferries owner reports record-breaking profits after mass sacking

DP World called ‘corporate gangster’ after announcing half-year profits of £600m
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/18/po-ferries-owner-reports-record-breaking-profits-after-mass-sacking

[Andy Holloway]

And lo and behold, record profits are declared for the shareholders....

P&O Ferries owner reports record-breaking profits after mass sacking

DP World called ‘corporate gangster’ after announcing half-year profits of £600m
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/18/po-ferries-owner-reports-record-breaking-profits-after-mass-sacking

Before we get too upset and angry about 'shareholders' and their reported record breaking dividends, it's best to remember that a lot of these shares are held by various different pension funds and charities. You know the sort of groups that we all either do or will, rely on for our pensions etc!

[Rob Lightbody]

Before we get too upset and angry about 'shareholders' and their reported record breaking dividends, it's best to remember that a lot of these shares are held by various different pension funds and charities. You know the sort of groups that we all either do or will, rely on for our pensions etc!

It says "DP World, which is ultimately owned by the Dubai royal family".... Doesn't that mean they're the only shareholders?

[Andy Holloway]

It says "DP World, which is ultimately owned by the Dubai royal family".... Doesn't that mean they're the only shareholders?

Not necessarily, you'd need to check with Companies House.