The London government joins the chorus of accusations over the behavior of P&O Ferries, but takes note of the situation



The suspension of the maritime services of P&O Ferries, which on Wednesday suddenly announced the immediate dismissal of 800 maritime ( of the 17 and 17 March 2022), will last for about a week or ten days. British Transport Undersecretary Robert Courts told reporters after a meeting with representatives of the shipping company late on Tuesday, saying the suspended routes were those of Dover-Calais, Larne-Cairnryan, and the company said it was not in the process of being able to do so. Dublin-Liverpool and Hull-Rotterdam. The Undersecretary also said passengers and goods would still be able to travel to and from the UK via the English Channel and that the Danish group DFDS was preparing alternative services, but it also confirmed that in the next few days, it would be in the next few days. days you will be able to check for service interruptions.

As for the abrupt dismissal of the seafarers, Courts, communicating to Parliament the outcome of the talks with representatives of P&O Ferries, said that "the way these workers have been informed is completely unacceptable." "This is an efficient and dedicated staff who for years has served in P&O," the official said. The way they were treated today is completely unacceptable and my thought goes first of all to them. Reports of workers who did not receive any notice and suddenly were escorted out of their ships while it was reported that their duties would be hired by more affordable personnel demonstrates the insensitive nature with that P&O has addressed this issue, a point that I made clear when this afternoon I spoke with the direction of P&O. As I told Peter Hebblethwaite (the CEO of P&O Ferries, ndr ), I am extremely concerned and frankly angry about the way in which workers today were treated by P&O. Being a priority issue, I have asked my Department to work closely with counterparts in the Department of Labor and Pensions to ensure that workers are conveniently directed to the most suitable services of support and I intend to call upon the unions immediately after this statement to discuss the situation with them. "

Specifying that P&O Ferries "is basically a commercial decision by the company", addressing the speaker of the chamber, the undersecretary noted that if " there is no doubt that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the finances of many tourism companies, including P&O, "however," said Courts-if their finances are their business and only them, I would have expected them better for the workers involved. "

In the meantime, the theft of the representatives of trade unions caught up with surprise by the decision of the shipping company, which is owned by the DP World Group in Dubai, are multiplying by the company. "It is essential that workers in every sector are mobilising for the demonstrations on Friday," RMT's Secretary General Mick Lynch said. In fact, protests have been held in Dover, Liverpool and Hull in protest at the event. " We must send a message to merciless employers and at the same time to the government about the fact that when workers are treated in such a miserable way, there is a militant response from the trade union movement. This example of gangster capitalism to which our P&O adherents have been subjected is what awaits us for other workers across the country if we don't take all of a position. "

Renewing the allegations made to the shipping company on Monday, the Nautilus International union said it had obtained evidence that P&O Ferries had been planning for a long time the dismissal of all seafarers employed on routes to and from the United Kingdom, seeking Eastern European manpower to replace British seafarers as well as by hiring security guards to intimidate seafarers after they notified them of the dismissal with immediate effect. Security guards, Nautilus International, said they were currently on board ships and threatened the crew if they did not sign mobility agreements and leave the ship, the company said. will only receive the basic redundancy allowance and reduced performance. "The crews have refused to get them on board," Nautilus International said in a statement.

Nautilus International also reported that a work announcement was published by a manning company based in Eastern Europe for staff research to replace maritime experts who have been working for P&O for many years. In the announcement entitled "urgent work only for EU crews!" the union specified that " there is a need for 40 chosen sailors and a motorist worker to meet after tomorrow at our passenger ship in the UK. The duration of the contract is only two weeks! The salary is 2,000 per work week, or 4,000 for the entire two-week contract! Please tell that to your friends! "

Nautilus International said it had also received a message that it would be sent to British firm Interforce, which specialises in the recruitment and supply of security personnel, with which the syndicate would be requested personnel for an activity in the port of Dover lasting one week for a customer who requested 16 Interforce personnel to support the customer's security teams.

Nautilus International also sent a letter to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) urging it to urgently investigate the safety of P&O Ferries vessels that it said would be put at risk by replacing the company. maritime experts with personnel who are not familiar with either the ships or the routes, including that Dover-Calais that is the busiest shipping route in the world. "We write in order to ask what plans the MCA has to ensure the safety of the ships before the company can resume operations," the letter said. In particular, how will it be ensured that the company complies with the requirements of the STCW, the ISM and other tools related to training, delivery of deliveries and training on ship specifications and equipment. "

The TSSA public transport trade union also condemned the P&O Ferries initiative : "This is an absolutely despicable behaviour by P&O, planned by P&O Ferries," the trade union said. in order to decrease earnings and worsen the terms and conditions of work of their staff. They should be ashamed of themselves for having treated so loyal and efficient staff. In any civilized country these actions would not only be illegal, but punishable in the strictest possible terms. Unfortunately, I doubt that the Tory government will raise a single finger to make sure that this happens. Expressing the solidarity of our union with the associates of the unions of our affiliates who are treated in such a despicable way by this esecrable employer, I also warn the rest of the sector of the ferries : TSSA will fight tooth and nail with any attempt to replicate the shameful behaviour of P&O. "