P&O Ferries has made 800 of its staff redundant, effective immediately, and cancelled all its services for the next few days.

 

PandO Ferries has made 800 staff members redundant, effective immediately, and canceled all  services for the next few days. engine room personnel, loaders and cleaners. Unions have called for mobilization and called the redundancies "a knife to the heart of the British maritime sector". The company said those employees would receive "enhanced" severance packages, calling it a "necessary decision" to protect its remaining 2,200 employees. He said the business was "not profitable" in its current state. In a statement, the ferry operator said: "We have suffered a loss of £100m year-on-year which has been covered by our parent company DP World. This is not sustainable. Our survival depends on rapid and meaningful change now." "Without these changes, there is no future for PandO ferries. MORE ABOUT PandOTransport Minister Robert Courts issued a statement to MPs in the House of Commons about PandO after the ferry giant laid off 800 seafarers and replaced them with cheaper employees. Picture date: Thursday March 17, 2022. The government is examining links with PandO after the 'totally unacceptable' and 'insensitive' dismissal of 800 staff Bring the ax to its workforce Trucks wait to check in at the Port of Dover in the Kent as PandO ferry services  suspended departures ahead of an 'important announcement' but insisted it 'will not go into liquidation'. Picture date: Thursday March 17, 2022.PandO Ferries: What are the rights of workers and passengers affected by the mass layoffs?People in balaclavas 'bringing British crew' from ships Following the announcement, Labor MP Diana Johnson said people in balaclavas had been seen 'bringing British crew' out of ships. On a point of order in the House of Commons, the MP for Kingston upon Hull North called PandO's actions 'shameful' and warned they would have a 'significant economic impact on places like Humber'. He said the laid off staff had been  replaced by agency staff  on the platform buses. RMT representative Gaz Jackson told Sky News  he was on one of the ships when the news broke. He said the officers watched a Zoom video and had the opportunity to join the new company that would provide the service, while the rankings were shown on another Zoom video and did not have the same opportunity. Trucks queue in Dover as P and O cancel all 'it won't go into liquidation' operations.Picture date: Thursday March 17, 2022. Picture: Trucks waiting to check in at the Port of Dover, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch confirmed he had received reports that security officers at Dover were attempting to board the ships in handcuffs to remove the crew. He said the union was seeking "urgent legal action" and called on the government to "take action to stop what is rapidly turning into one of the most shameful acts in the history of British industrial relations". "If this happens to PandO, it can happen anywhere, and we're calling for mass  union and broader public mobilization and anti-corporate protests," Lynch added. Union members advised to stay on board RMT National Secretary Darren Procter said  PandO Ferries' decision "points a knife to the heart of the UK shipping industry". Meanwhile, Nautilus International union general secretary Mark Dickinson said the union felt it was "in the best interests of our members to stay on board" until further notice. He added: "The news that PandO Ferries is laying off the crew of the entire UK fleet is a betrayal of UK workers.'It's outrageous to say the least as this Dubai-owned company has received millions of pounds of UK taxpayers' money during the pandemic', significant disruption was expected as the long queues seen at DoverLorry piled up around of Dover following the suspension of services. PandO warned there would be "significant disruption" to its ferry services in the coming days, but said it was working to minimize the impact on customers. Morgan Ryan told Sky News he arrived  in Larne, Northern Ireland, with his family for the 8am sail to Cairnryan after having been up since 4am when they noticed people being turned away. “We arrived at the front row and a member of Pando staff  informed us that all services had been suspended. PandO Ferries has laid off 800 staff, effective immediately. 2:41 Play Video The moment the PandO boss fired 800 employees Video has been released showing the moment a PandO Ferries boss fired 800 employees.