P&O Ferries' actions 'a knife through the heart' says Procter

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P&O left their 800 UK staff stunned on Thursday as they announced they would be sacked effective immediately due to their employment no longer being “viable.” The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union reacted with fury at the news, blaming years of “mismanagement” for the shocking decision. National Secretary Darren Procter warned the ferry company they can expect a fight from the union and staff, as he confirmed they are already in contact with MPs to hit back at the company.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Procter said: “P&O has been financially mismanaged for a number of years.

“And they weren’t saying that when they were taking money from the UK Government for the furlough.

“The financials of P&O have been under pressure for a number of years but that’s down to their mismanagement. 

“We could have sat around a table, we could have discussed this like a normal company would.”

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He continued: “They just bought two new vessels for £200 million and they’re supported by DP Welders, not short of a bob or two.

“We’ve got members we’re getting off now because they’re fearful of the situation onboard and we’re getting political support.

“We’re in contact with MPs locally, whether it be Dover, etcetera. We’re also calling on the Government for political intervention.

“We’re going to fight this all the way. We can’t allow this to happen, this puts a knife right through the heart of UK maritime..we’re supposed to be a maritime nation.

Moment P&O Ferries staff were informed they had lost their jobs

“We’re supposed to be looking after and building the maritime strategy, putting people at the heart.”

Downing Street has condemned the way P&O Ferries informed 800 staff they were being sacked to be replaced with cheaper agency workers.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said maritime minister Robert Courts had raised the issue with the company’s chief executive.

“The way these workers were informed was completely unacceptable,” the spokesman said.

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“Clearly the way that this was communicated to staff was not right and we have made that clear.

“Our sympathies are with these hard-working employees affected during this challenging time who have given years of service to P&O.”

The job losses come at a politically sensitive time for the government, with inflation set to reach 8 percent in April and consumers facing tax rises and soaring energy bills in what opposition politicians have billed a ‘cost of living crisis’.

Transport minister Grant Shapps said he would speak with the firm later to understand the changes.

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