P&O

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Mugshot

Über Member

P&O cancels services with 800 workers fired


P&O appear to be in serious trouble, all ships in port, sailings cancelled, workers being fired and others refusing to leave their ships.

"In its current state, P&O Ferries is not a viable business. We have made a £100m loss year on year, which has been covered by our parent DP World. This is not sustainable. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries."

@Salty seadog , I can't remember if you work for P&O, or if you've said who you're employed by. Is this affecting you, hope everything is ok for you?
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Mugshot

Mugshot

Über Member
 

Beebo

Veteran
There seems to be a policy of fire all staff and then rehire them on an agency basis.
That isn’t a good look.

I’m sure they are suffering with fuel prices etc but they can’t just find 800 skilled crew and hope to carry on operations.
 

Milkfloat

Active Member
If it is fire and rehire then it makes what British Gas did seem almost humane. Whilst I have every sympathy for a company to do extreme things to survive, this really is not the way to do it. I feel very sorry for the P&O staff, who through no fault of their own have been screwed over. As usual, the ones those in charge who made the poor decisions that led to this will be largely immune whilst others suffer.
 

Beebo

Veteran
How can the management live with themselves? What is the HR manager and their legal advisor thinking. It’s quite clearly unfair dismissal but they seem happy to go along with it.

It could get very messy if the government don’t step in fast to stop it.

Crews have reportedly pulled up the gang planks and have enough supplies on board to sit this out.

And I imagine a few of the crew are not unfamiliar with a bit of the rough stuff if people do try to forcibly remove them.
 
OP
OP
Mugshot

Mugshot

Über Member
As usual, the ones those in charge who made the poor decisions that led to this will be largely immune whilst others suffer.
I'm not sure there were poor decisions, despite what the company itself are saying.

DP World seem to be doing quite nicely thank you. This for the first half of 2021 from their website.

Revenue growth of 21.3% supported by acquisitions and strong growth in India, Australia, and UK.
Profit for the period attributable to owners of the Company increased to $475 million
 
OP
OP
Mugshot

Mugshot

Über Member
It could get very messy if the government don’t step in fast to stop it.
I suppose the question will be if they have any desire to do so, so far as I can see P&O aren't looking to automatically rehire the fired workers, but certainly they're looking to introduce inferior T&Cs.
The government however seem unconcerned about such things.

Fire-and-rehire: Government blocks law to curb the practice

 

Beebo

Veteran
I'm not sure there were poor decisions, despite what the company itself are saying.

DP World seem to be doing quite nicely thank you. This for the first half of 2021 from their website.
So it’s owned by Dubai State and makes a huge profit, but one area is loss making and deemed non viable.
The P&O pension is massively under funded and DP are refusing to top it up.
The government, ie us, will all end up paying to clean up the mess.
 
D

Deleted member 49

Guest
Fecking discrace ! P&O Ferries furloughed 1400 of its staff during the pandemic, costing the taxpayer £10m.
They also asked us for a £150m bailout.
Its parent company then paid out £250m to shareholders.
Wait till the pandemic is over then sack the staff !
 
D

Deleted member 49

Guest
That's a few more routes off Plague Island that I won't ever use again.

Besides COVID, I wonder what else may have reduced ferry traffic to the continent?
What's to say it's reduced,there sacking the UK staff and replacing them with agency staff on worse pay and conditions.
 

MrGrumpy

Regular
What's to say it's reduced,there sacking the UK staff and replacing them with agency staff on worse pay and conditions.
Freight ? Has that dropped considering the customs hassles just now ?


Wife’s cousins husband is a captain on the NI route from Scotland. I’m guessing he will be effected as well .
 
D

Deleted member 49

Guest
Freight ? Has that dropped considering the customs hassles just now ?


Wife’s cousins husband is a captain on the NI route from Scotland. I’m guessing he will be effected as well .
I'm sure everything's dropped including workers rights ...let's see where Labour Starmer is on this 🙄
 
Top Bottom