Footage Shows Moment 800 P&O Ferries Staff Were Laid Off Via Video
Topics: UK News
Tom Wood
Featured Image Credit: BBC/Alamy
Topics: UK News
Footage has emerged that shows the moment hundreds of P&O Ferries staff were laid off via a video message.
In a short clip, the employees were told: "The company has made the decision that its vessels – going forward – will be primarily crewed by a third party provider.
"Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy. Your final day of employment is today."
You can see the bad news delivered below:
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Eight hundred UK crew members were laid off earlier today with immediate effect, with some refusing to leave vessels for fear of being ‘locked out’.
In a statement, the owners of P&O Ferries, DP World, said it had to take the difficult decision in order to ensure the future of the company.
A spokesperson said: "P&O Ferries plays a critical role in keeping trade flowing, supply chains moving, and connecting families and friends across the North and Irish seas and the English Channel.
"We have been at the heart of this service for years and we are committed to serving these vital routes.
"However, 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. Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries.
"These circumstances have resulted in a very difficult but necessary decision, which was only taken after seriously considering all the available options.
"As part of the process we are starting today, we are providing 800 seafarers with immediate severance notices and will be compensating them for this lack of advance notice with enhanced compensation packages.'
P&O has since told travellers that it will not be operating any services for the ‘next few days’ and asked them to find alternative companies to travel with.
The ‘tough decision’m, P&O continued, was taken with the future of the company in mind.
Private security officers have boarded a vessel docked at Larne Harbour in Northern Ireland, where ferries travel across the Irish Sea to Cairnryan, according the union RMT.
A full-time officer on board the Pride of Hull – another ferry – called Gary Jackson, told BBC News about the Zoom message informing staff of their sacking, stating that they had received no correspondence in writing from the company.
He said: "We've still not received any detail further on what they will offer.
"We can see from the ship two vans, one with agency staff and the other with what we believe are security staff to remove us...and that's why the captain here lifted the gangway."