The prospect of a lifting of logjams at Dover for channel crossings at Easter have been dampened due to another P&O Ferries vessel being detained by regulators.
Hopes of a restart of the company’s operations on the Dover-Calais route before the holiday weekend now look increasingly slim.
The detention of the ship Spirit of Britain comes as the Maritime and Coastguard Agency carries out inspections of P&O Ferries vessels to ensure they are fit to sail.
The inspections follow the company’s controversial firing of almost 800 seafarers without warning last month to bring in lower paid workers, sparking a fractious row with government.
An MCA spokesperson told ITV News: “The Spirit of Britain has been detained due to surveyors identifying a number of deficiencies which were grounds for detention.
“We have advised P&O to invite us back once they have addressed the issues. We do not know yet when this will be.”
The ferry company has been working with the MCA trying to obtain recertification for eight of its ferries to restart services between the UK, Ireland, Northern Ireland, France and the Netherlands.
Some sailings have resumed but not on the key route from Dover to France, with the company tweeting today that services to Calais remain cancelled.
The maritime union RMT wrote to transport secretary Grant Shapps renewing a call for the government to “take over these essential ferry operations and reinstate the experienced crew who were so disgracefully sacked”.
Further union protests against the dismissal of staff are planned for Dover on April 19 and outside the London office of P&O Ferries’ Dubai-based owners DP World on April 21.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The protests this month in Dover and London are part of the campaign that is being built to fight back against the shocking assault on UK seafarer jobs and employment rights that the recent P&O sackings represent.
“The contempt that the company have for both staff and passengers alike is underlined by the Easter travel chaos at UK ports that their illegal actions have unleashed.
“We are gathering support from all political parties, passengers, commercial hauliers, the wider trade union movement and businesses across the supply chain in this continuing battle for justice.
“The union’s Fair Ferries campaign is fighting to ensure that the ruthless behaviour of P&O cannot happen again in the maritime industry or anywhere else.”