P&O

[Mugshot]

No, but you can tell the world you won't be using them, thus virtue signalling your support for the sacked sailors. It is not quite so easy when you have £600 tied up in a ticket though, or if your only option for a family holiday is a cheap Dover/Calais ticket with P&O.

It's another well-off middle class right-on cause. But don't take my word for it, let's see how empty the ferries are shall we?

I'm a little confused I'm sorry.
Your issue with people not using them, or with people saying they're not going to use them?

BTW, are they significantly cheaper than the other options?

 

[Rusty Nails]

Bad publicity is never good for business and the damage to P&O might not just be all about boycotts:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60800520

 

[Ian H]

In an ideal world there'd be no need for boycotts because what they've done would be plainly illegal and swiftly dealt with.

 

[winjim]

In an ideal world there'd be no need for boycotts because what they've done would be plainly illegal and swiftly dealt with.

It's interesting that the ?minister I heard on the radio was talking about action against the company /if they had done anything illegal/. The next day in the HoC, in the part of the debate I heard there was no mention of illegality and the argument seemed to be framed only in terms of ethics. Now it seems that they may be not be subject to UK employment law as the contracts were signed under Jersey law.

 

[Unkraut]

Unfortunately I booked a saver (non refundable) ticket in March 2020 through a bunch of charlatans called Direct Ferries and then stupidly accepted a voucher.

If it is of any consolation you are not the only stupid person to accept a voucher. We've had to pull out of a couple of booked crossings due to corona. Try contacting Direct Ferries - iirc you cannot go to the company you are sailing with you have to go to Direct Ferries direct regarding cancellations, but it is impossible to contact them. We also with great effort got a voucher out of Eurotunnel, but it expired before we had a chance to use it and I cannot face the hassle of trying to get it extended.

It's another well-off middle class right-on cause.

I don't think it is middle class at all. If anything the better off will carry on using P&O and won't give a monkey's for the sacked crew. Let them pick fruit. After all, one has orchards in Kent.

If enough people avoided P&O and went with DFDS that would be market forces at work, and just might make P&O think twice about their employment policies, but you may well be right that not enough people care.

 

[cookiemonster]

As ever on here, you have all already made your minds up about my lack of empathy. I am not unempathetic at all, I am just saying that the economic reality is that the ferries will remain full. Several of you have jumped on me and called me heartless etc, but then defended Julia for keeping the booking. I am not blaming her at all, I am saying that I completely understand and don't blame her.

It's terrible what has happened, and how it was done, but the reality is that no-one will change their bookings, we have an amount that we would be willing to lose to support people, both financially and emotionally. In reality it is unlikely to cost £600, there is a cancellation policy in place which means that some money could come back, but more importantly we have holidays that are important as we have missed a few years worth.

So let's not all pretend we would boycott a company, when in reality, in a couple of weeks it will be Easter and there will be no space on P&O ferries.


How wonderfully naive of you. Anyway, don't let the fact you are not back in the UK stop you, DP World operate one of the busiest terminals in Hong Kong (CT3). So what will you be not be using as it comes through there?

Feel free to tell us that you actually have no idea at all what comes through there, so will be breaching your own boycott on a daily basis

We're only holding a mirror up and it seems you don't like what's being reflected back. Do you actually pay attention to what you post?

You seem to have very little faith in the UK public. I'm sure there will be a boycott as people are beginning to get seriously pissed off with the way they're being treated, the cost of living crisis being the main issue.

BTW, it's not DP World that operate the busiest cargo terminal in HK, it's COSCO (OOCL) and the HK Gov.

 

[cookiemonster]

No, but you can tell the world you won't be using them, thus virtue signalling your support for the sacked sailors. It is not quite so easy when you have £600 tied up in a ticket though, or if your only option for a family holiday is a cheap Dover/Calais ticket with P&O.

It's another well-off middle class right-on cause. But don't take my word for it, let's see how empty the ferries are shall we?

How is this a middle class, right in cause? How is this virtue signalling? Is this an insult towards people who actually care about their fellow human? Do you have issues with that?

It could happen to anyone on this forum if P+O actually get away with this.

 

[newfhouse]

Have you been under a rock for the last 24 months?

I’m not sure what this means. Are you saying that you believe they sacked all their staff because of the covid restrictions that no longer exist?

 

[Fab Foodie]

In an ideal world there'd be no need for boycotts....

...or any other professional Yorkshiremen.....

 

[The Jogger]

This is what I think.

 

[mudsticks]

How is this a middle class, right in cause? How is this virtue signalling? Is this an insult towards people who actually care about their fellow human? Do you have issues with that?

It could happen to anyone on this forum if P+O actually get away with this.

Have we got another one saying that anyone taking some kind of action of behalf of their fellow human is a ' virtue signaller'.

Since when did trying to do the 'right' thing , and even daring to talk about it , become such a crime .??

Of course some people will still use P&O , for all kinds of reasons

And others will decide they can't bring themselves to / can 'afford' to avoid them.

Workers rights are steadily being eroded, alongside our right to even protest those rights..

Of course it's not nearly so bad as some other places, but things will get steadily worse in favour of the already powerful if we neglect to do anything.

Join or support a union if you can.

And - if you do decide to boycott a company or product remember to drop them a line to say why - that's more effective than just not buying from them.

If it is of any consolation you are not the only stupid person to accept a voucher. We've had to pull out of a couple of booked crossings due to corona. Try contacting Direct Ferries - iirc you cannot go to the company you are sailing with you have to go to Direct Ferries direct regarding cancellations, but it is impossible to contact them. We also with great effort got a voucher out of Eurotunnel, but it expired before we had a chance to use it and I cannot face the hassle of trying to get it extended.

I don't think it is middle class at all. If anything the better off will carry on using P&O and won't give a monkey's for the sacked crew. Let them pick fruit. After all, one has orchards in Kent.

If enough people avoided P&O and went with DFDS that would be market forces at work, and just might make P&O think twice about their employment policies, but you may well be right that not enough people care.

Just so you know it's very possible to have orchards that need picking.

But still give a flying feck about other humans, and their welfare..

It was one of 'our' craven politicians suggesting 'let them pick fruit' about refugees, not a fruit farmer..

I'll be avoiding P&O

 

[Fab Foodie]

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...t-po-mass-sackings?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Well what a surprise....

 

[mudsticks]

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...t-po-mass-sackings?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Well what a surprise....

From that article..

DP World paid £322m for P&O Ferries in February 2019. The chairman and group chief executive is Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, and it is ultimately owned by Dubai’s ruling royal family. In May 2020, the firm announced up to 1,100 redundancies, the majority of which were crew in Hull and Dover. Unions warned MPs they were concerned about a long-term plan to replace UK-based crews with “low-cost foreign crews”.

Surveys by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and contracts have previously revealed P&O has been at the bottom or near bottom of the league table of pay for overseas staff.

In 2019, an ITF survey claimed that P&O was paying catering staff a basic hourly rate as low as £1.83, excluding overtime. Staff from Poland, Portugal and the Philippines complained they were struggling to cope with working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for two months at a time.

 

[qigong chimp]

استعادة السيطرة

 

[Unkraut]

BTW, are they significantly cheaper than the other options?

From memory I think P&O were rarely the cheapest option, especially if you are married to someone who is an expert in finding offers. The different prices of the various operators over the years were not particularly stark, but I have to be honest the couple of times I eventually did use P&O the quality was noticeably better.

It's the Tunnel that is ludicrously expensive, although quick.

Just so you know it's very possible to have orchards that need picking.

I'm not knocking fruit picking, it's the Marie Antionette attitude I'm sure many middle class people will have towards the sacked staff.

I even did some picking during my year abroad ooop north near Bremen. 36 degrees in the sun picking Heidelbeeren or blueberries. Does anyone still call them whortleberries or be I showing my higorance?