Union steps up fight to save 1,100 P&O Ferries jobs from the axe

The RMT trade union is stepping up its fight to save more than 1,000 P&O Ferries jobs and prevent them being replaced by "cheaper foreign seafarers".
By Alexandra Wood
Published 22nd May 2020, 12:11 BST
Updated 22nd May 2020, 15:04 BST
Pride of York has been laid up since the beginning of April Archive pic: Mike CowlingPride of York has been laid up since the beginning of April Archive pic: Mike Cowling
Pride of York has been laid up since the beginning of April Archive pic: Mike Cowling

P&O Ferries announced on May 11 that they were starting consultation which could see more than a quarter of their workforce losing their jobs.

According to the RMT, 122 of the proposed redundancies are among seafarers working on the Hull-Zeebrugge and Hull-Rotterdam routes, along with 614 on Dover-Calais.

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General secretary Mick Cash has written to Shipping Minister Kelly Tolhurst raising concerns at the implications for the future of UK Ratings in the ferry industry.

Seen from the bridge, the P&O North Sea Ferry 'Pride of York' leaves the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium for one of her nightly crossings to HullSeen from the bridge, the P&O North Sea Ferry 'Pride of York' leaves the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium for one of her nightly crossings to Hull
Seen from the bridge, the P&O North Sea Ferry 'Pride of York' leaves the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium for one of her nightly crossings to Hull

He said "at a stroke" P&O is proposing to cut 8 per cent of all British Ratings jobs, noting that P&O "had already sought to import Filipino On-Board Service crew on ferries from Hull prior to the Covid-19 crisis".

The union estimates that P&O has had at least £25m support from the taxpayer support during the pandemic, including £10 million to cover 80 per cent of the wages of furloughed seafarers.

Mr Cash has asked the government to issue a public statement opposing compulsory redundancies, to urge P&O ferries to use the extended furlough scheme to protect jobs and place a condition of long-term employment protections on all state support provided to P&O Ferries and any other operator.

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He added: “P&O Ferries and their paymasters in Dubai are threatening RMT seafarers’ jobs because they want to replace them with cheaper Ratings from the other side of the world when the recovery in passenger numbers comes.

“We have a healthy dialogue with the Shipping Minister and her officials but we must now see dynamic action from the Government in support of British seafarers jobs on vital ferry routes that are being subsidised by the taxpayer.”

P&O Ferries declined to comment.

The Department for Transport said they recognised the challenges faced by the transport sector and encouraged firms to make use of the further changes to business support, announced last month by the Chancellor.

They continue to directly engage maritime companies and associations to help tackle the challenges they are facing.

Related topics:RMTDepartment for Transport

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