P&O Ferries halts crossings ‘for the next few days’ and sacks 800 sailors

UK passenger and freight transport routes face days of disruption after P&O Ferries ordered its ships again to port with the intention to sack 800 sailors.

In a video message performed to crew, the corporate stated it could exchange the dismissed employees with cheaper company workers.

The corporate, which is owned by Dubai-based DP World, stated Britain’s best-known ferry operator was not “a viable enterprise” in its present state and that it had made the “very troublesome however crucial resolution” to axe the roles.

As P&O despatched in safety workers to clear crew from their ships, the corporate was severely criticised by politicians and unions.

“The way in which [the crew] have been handled as we speak is wholly unacceptable,” Robert Courts, transport minister, advised MPs.

Karl Turner, Labour MP for East Hull, stated P&O was engaged in “predatory capitalism of essentially the most grotesque type”, whereas Nautilus, the seafarers’ commerce union, stated there had been no session or discover given to workers, and that P&O’s actions have been “nothing wanting scandalous”.

P&O stated that the 800 seafarers can be compensated for the quick discover for job losses, with out giving additional particulars.

Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement, one of many world’s largest ship managers, confirmed that it was among the many businesses offering the substitute crew.

After initially forecasting delays of some hours, P&O then admitted it could not be capable to run any ferries “for the following few days”, plunging busy transport routes into uncertainty.

Courts stated he anticipated disruption for every week to 10 days whereas P&O skilled new crew.

Rival ferry operator DFDS has stepped in and was offering various providers for P&O passengers with tickets, he added.

P&O operates on the passenger and freight Dover to Calais route, in addition to providers between the British mainland and Eire, Northern Eire and the Netherlands.

The stoppage would trigger a “huge drawback” for British provide chains as a result of the corporate is answerable for a couple of third of the cross-channel ferry market with France, stated Philip Edge, chief government of Edge Worldwide Logistics, a freight brokerage.

“It’s the equal of taking Maersk and one other service out of the worldwide container market however for the France to UK commerce,” he stated.

Contemporary meals reminiscent of croissants, brioches and cheeses that he imports have been vulnerable to failing to make it to grocery store cabinets. The circulation of products to Eire would even be disrupted, he added.

John Manners-Bell, chief government of Transport Intelligence, a consultancy, stated the arrival of components wanted by producers was additionally in danger.

Pointing to “long-planned contingency” preparations for disruption on the Dover to Calais route, Courts stated the federal government’s modelling “suggests we now have enough capability to deal with the lack of these ferries”.

DP World, a container and logistics group, purchased P&O Ferries for £322mn in 2019. It fired 1,100 employees early in 2020 because the pandemic struck. P&O reported income of £138mn for 2020, down from £145mn in 2019, in accordance with its newest accounts at Corporations Home.

“We have now made a £100mn loss yr on yr, which has been coated by our mum or dad DP World,” P&O stated. “This isn’t sustainable. Our survival relies on making swift and vital modifications now. With out these modifications there is no such thing as a future for P&O Ferries.”

DP World itself final week reported file outcomes for 2021, with ebitda growing 15 per cent to $3.8bn. 

.