P&O Ferries, which optimistically bills itself as Britain’s favourite ferries operator, is reportedly hiring foreign agency workers on hourly rates of £1.82 to replace the workers it sacked last week.
P&O Ferries paying as little as £1.80 per hour for Indian agency crew.
This is an exploitative company that has shown complete contempt for UK employment laws and practices.
Government must act. These ships of shame cannot be allowed to sail.#BoycottPandOFerries https://t.co/xCIVWliF3q
— Nautilus International (@nautilusint) March 21, 2022
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union claims the replacement workers are earning well below the UK’s minimum hourly wage of £8.91 while Labour MP Karl Turner claimed the new temporary workers will be asked to work 12-hour shifts for eight weeks at a time.
The Labour Party is seeking to force an emergency vote in parliament that will force the government to suspend contracts with DP World, the Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries, and remove it from the government’s Transport Advisory Group.
"On Monday, Tory MPs must join with Labour and vote to ban cruel fire and rehire for good. They must decide which side they are on – loyal workers in Britain or billionaires riding roughshod over rights,” said Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary.
A statement from the Department for Transport said a total examination of any contract in place with P&O Ferries and DP World across Government is taking place, and the department is working closely with unions, the Department for Work and Pensions and industry bodies “to ensure that workers are supported and signposted to the most relevant support”.
"We have serious concerns that their handling may not have followed the correct and legal processes, and strongly urge P&O Ferries to pause the changes announced, and speak with workers to repair the damage caused,” the Department’s statement said.
P&O Ferries resumed limited services over the weekend with the Liverpool to Dublin ferry back on its regular schedule; however, according to the company’s Twitter feed, the Larne/Cairnryan, Dover/Calais and Hull/Rotterdam services remain suspended, and the company said it is no longer able to arrange travel via an alternative operator on the Larne/Cairnryan route.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the disruption to P&O services currently, we are accepting tourist customers with a vehicle booking until further notice. Please bring your P&O booking details to the DFDS check in desks in Dover & Calais for travel on the next available service. pic.twitter.com/MwbWV9D3dX
— DFDS UK (@dfds_uk) March 17, 2022
P&O Ferries said customers affected by cancellations will be contacted by its port teams.