{"id":2931,"date":"2022-03-17T15:17:08","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T15:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worabia.com\/news\/world-news\/uk\/2931\/"},"modified":"2022-03-17T15:17:08","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T15:17:08","slug":"sacked-po-hull-ferry-crew-refuse-to-leave-ship-say-union","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worabia.com\/news\/world-news\/uk\/2931\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacked P&O Hull ferry crew refuse to leave ship, say union"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The crew of a ferry docked in Hull refuse to leave the ship after being looted by the P&O shipping company.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Union officials say the captain of the Pride of Hull raised the gangway after he and his crew learned of his dismissal this morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

P&O Ferries has laid off 800 seafarers with immediate effect saying a “difficult decision” was made to secure the future of the business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Union RMT said crew members were being replaced by foreign labour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The RMT’s Gary Jackson, who is on board the ship at Hull’s King George Dock, said he received no advance warning and only learned of the redundancies during a Zoom call with management and workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cTurns out he was terminating all crew, sailor and officer contracts and bringing in foreign sailors, who are currently stationed outside at the port waiting to board,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

“The captain has raised the gangway so that no one can get on or off the ship until we have guarantees about our future.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Posting a photo of a meeting between the captain and crew members, Hull East Labor MP Karl Turner said: “They have support across the city of Hull and the rest of the country and are determined to stay on board. All the time needed”. They should have the full backing of all UK workers.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The Pride of Hull operates a night service between the city and Rotterdam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

P&O has said its services will not operate for “the next few days”, and passengers have been told to use other carriers. The firm said its survival depended on “making quick and meaningful changes now.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

“In its current state, P&O Ferries is not a viable business. We have had a \u00a3100m loss year on year, which has been covered by our parent company DP World. This is not sustainable. Without these changes, there is no future.” for P&O Ferries.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said his officials “will have urgent discussions with P&O about the situation, particularly the concern for their workers.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Mark Dickinson, General Secretary of the shipping union Nautilus International, said: “The news that P&O Ferries is laying off the crew of its entire UK fleet is a betrayal of British workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

“It is nothing short of scandalous given that this Dubai-owned company received millions of pounds of British taxpayer money during the pandemic.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Many P&O seafarers were furloughed during the coronavirus crisis, with the government paying up to 80% of their wages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Follow BBC Yorkshire on <\/i>Facebook, <\/i>Twitter<\/a> and <\/i>Instagram. Submit your story ideas to <\/i>yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n