Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, hit out at the move as “shocking exploitation”. The claim came as crowds, including axed staff, protested outside the London offices of P&O owner – Dubai-based logistics giant DP World – before marching on Parliament. A fired P&O employee said he only found out he was sacked when a security guard woke him up and told him to “pack up and get off” his ship.
The engineer, who wants to stay anonymous, said he had slept through a Zoom call where staff were told following a long night shift. He added: “There was so much confusion with all the security guards. They had handcuffs and were positioned all around the ship to prevent us taking things, or clearly just in case people got angry and refused to leave.”
A senior officer said the firm was “ordering uniforms for us earlier in the week. The night before we completed a normal handover and seniors even told me, ‘See you next week’.
“I’ve worked with P&O for 13 years. It was the first job I got.”
Labour yesterday called on ministers to trigger immediate “criminal action” against P&O Ferries, after it sacked 800 staff without warning.
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh told the Commons: “It should mean unlimited fines not only for the company but for directors and managers.” She urged the Government to suspend all contracts it has with P&O Ferries and DP World. P&O has until 5pm today to reply to questions from Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.
The RMT’s Mr Lynch said: “The news that the seafarers now on ships in British ports are to be paid $2.38 [£1.80] an hour is a shocking exploitation… gut-wrenching betrayal of those who have been sacked.”
P&O Ferries bosses refused to comment but are believed to have dismissed the pay claim as inaccurate.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday denied he first heard of P&O’s cull via a memo from his officials a day before it was announced.
