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UK's P&O Ferries sacks 800 staff over Zoom sparking union standoff
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P&O Ferries made the sudden decision to sack 800 staff. /Peter Cziborra/Reuters

P&O Ferries made the sudden decision to sack 800 staff. /Peter Cziborra/Reuters

Britain's P&O Ferries has cut 800 staff jobs with immediate effect and temporarily halted crossings, sparking anger among politicians and unions over reports it will replace the employees with cheaper agency workers.

The sudden decision caused delays around Britain's busiest port, Dover, as trade unions urged their members to defy any instructions to leave P&O ships.

Images are circulating online of what are thought to be security services, some wearing balaclavas, removing British crew from the ships after they were fired in a group Zoom call.

P&O, which is owned by Dubai ports firm DP World, is recovering from two years of disruption when COVID-19 prevented tourists from travelling on its routes which run between Britain, France, Ireland and other northern European countries.

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The company, which has almost 4,000 employees and runs more than 30,000 sailings a year, said it was losing more than $131 million each year and the business was no longer viable without dramatic changes.

"This is not sustainable," a spokesperson for P&O said. "Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries."

The company told passengers alternative carriers would be available. Local media reported that replacement crews were waiting on dock at some ports.

Transport union RMT said it had told its members working for P&O not to leave their vessels. The company declined to comment on reports over whether it would replace sacked staff with agency workers. 

British unions and opposition politicians have accused some companies of using a "fire and rehire" tool which allows them to move staff on to weaker contracts with lower pay, as they seek to rebuild after the pandemic.

The job losses come as the UK faces a cost-of-living crisis, with pressure on the government to respond to skyrocketing inflation, consumer tax rises, and soaring energy bills.

"I am very concerned about the news from P&O Ferries this morning and we will be speaking to the company today to understand the impact on workers and passengers," transport minister Grant Shapps said.

In March 2021, DP World reported an 11 percent jump in 2020 revenue and said it would continue to invest in its ferry companies even as it acknowledged that P&O and Ferrymasters had been through a "particularly challenging time" due to the coronavirus.

Source(s): Reuters
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