P&O Ferries mass firings of UK crew members outrage unions
ABC News
Unions are set to protest at British ports after major ferry operator P&O Ferries fired 800 U.K. crew members to replace them with cheaper contract staff
LONDON -- Unions were set to protest at British ports Friday after major ferry operator P&O Ferries fired 800 U.K. crew members to replace them with cheaper contract staff.
The British government expressed outrage at the mass firings — conducted by Zoom message — but said it could do little to reverse them. Government minister James Heappey said “P&O has behaved appallingly,” but he did not believe the company’s actions were illegal.
“Ultimately, it is not something the government can stop P&O from doing,” he told the BBC. “Now, the focus will be on supporting those who have lost their jobs.”
P&O said it had no choice but to cut costs after the coronavirus pandemic hammered its finances, leading it to post a 100 million pound ($132 million) loss last year. The ferry operator, a unit of Dubai-government owned logistics giant DP World, said its survival was “dependent on making swift and significant changes now.’’
