P&O Ferries suspended its services on Thursday morning (March 17), telling customers on Twitter and Facebook that it is unable to operate ferries “for the next few hours”.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) immediately advised members who work for P&O Ferries not to leave the vessels until clarity was provided amid reports that UK staff were to be made redundant and replaced with cheaper overseas workers.
The P&O Ferries’ message read: “Our Port Teams will guide you and travel will be arranged via an alternative operator.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this will have on your journey plans.”
Regretfully, P&O Ferries services are unable to run for the next few hours. Our Port Teams will guide you and travel will be arranged via an alternative operator.
We apologise for the inconvenience this will have on your journey plans.
— P&O Ferries (@POferries) March 17, 2022
A short statement from the company to Travel Weekly said: “P&O Ferries is not going into liquidation. We have asked all ships to come alongside, in preparation for a company announcement. Until then, services from P&O will not be running and we are advising travellers of alternative arrangements.”
A RMT spokesperson said: “We’ve just advised our people not to leave.”
The spokesperson added the majority of the ferry firm’s staff were RMT members.
East Hull MP Karl Turner tweeted a copy of an email to staff about the suspension, commenting: “@POferries have apparently instructed their crews both ratings and officers to tie up vessel’s as they are making a ‘major’ announcement today. This is troubling for crews and their families. I am in contact with ratings and officer unions regarding this.”
The email said: “We will be making a major company announcement today which, with the support of our shareholder DP World, will secure the long-term viability of P&O Ferries.
“To facilitate this announcement all our vessels have been asked to discharge their passengers and cargo and standby for further instructions.
“That means we’re expecting all our ports to experience serious disruption today so please bear with us and we will give further information in an all-colleague announcement later today.
“If you’re in a customer-facing role further information with follow separately on how we would like you to work with our customers. Thank you for your patience and support.”
.@POferries have apparently instructed their crews both ratings and officers to tie up vessel’s as they are making a ‘major’ announcement today. This is troubling for crews and their families. I am in contact with ratings and officer unions regarding this. pic.twitter.com/W2Kh5WNval
— Karl Turner MP (@KarlTurnerMP) March 17, 2022
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, told the Commons: “I am concerned about the news just breaking about P&O Ferries. I understand it is temporarily pausing its operations, which is causing disruption on the Short Straits, the port of Dover as well as some other ports.
“My officials [will be having] urgent discussions with P&O about the situation, particularly of concern with their workers.”
According to its website, the Dover-headquartered company operates ferries across the English Channel, North Sea and Irish Sea, with a fleet of more than 20 ships, and employs almost 4,000 members of staff.
Dubai-based parent company DP World said in its 2021 annual report published today in relation to Covid-19: “The ferries business has faced a challenging trading environment during the year given the lockdown in UK and Europe, resulting in reduced passenger activity, but we continue to transport critical cargo for consumers.”