It’s a thunderbolt in the UK. On the morning of Thursday March 17, P&O Ferries announced the dismissal, with immediate effect, of 800 British seafarers. In France, in Calais (Pas-de-Calais), the local management of the company confirmed this during an extraordinary social and economic committee at midday, a union source told Agence France-Presse. . “The management read us a press release from the British management, we do not know more”, added this source, pointing out “that no employee is affected in France”.
Contacted by The worlda spokesperson said that “in its current state, P&O Ferries is not a viable business”. The firm has suffered increasing losses, between the Covid-19 crisis, Brexit, and now the rising cost of diesel. The parent company, DP World, based in Dubai, explains that it has never taken dividends from P&O Ferries. “We suffered a loss of £100m (€118.4m) year on year, which was covered by our parent company. It’s not sustainable, explains the communication department. Our survival now depends on rapid and significant change. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries. »
Notices of immediate dismissal were sent to the sailors, who were to be replaced by around a hundred Colombian sailors and around forty temporary workers. “By making this difficult decision, we are ensuring the future viability of our business, which employs 2,200 people and supports billions of dollars in trade to and from the UK.adds to World the British spokesman. And we ensure that we can continue to serve our customers. »
However, on Tuesday March 15, on Twitter, the ferry company announced that on Friday, from 4 a.m., all travel restrictions related to Covid-19 would be removed for all travelers arriving in England. Something to make you want to cross the Channel again. But Thursday, at 9 a.m., it was on this same social network that customers discovered this laconic message: “Unfortunately, P&O Ferries services cannot operate for the next few hours. Our port teams will guide you and the trip will be organized through an alternative operator. »
“The British government must act”
In the middle of the afternoon, a new message specified that many of (their) services would not work for the next few days. At the port of Calais, according to the regional daily The voice of the North, the stoppage of traffic caused slowdowns and the formation of a line of trucks going up the port ring road.
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