Sacked P&O Hull ferry crew leave ship after protest

The crew of a ferry docked in Hull have finally left the ship after earlier occupying the vessel in protest over being sacked by P&O.

Union officials said the captain of The Pride of Hull raised the gangway after he and his crew were told of their dismissal via a Zoom call this morning.

P&O Ferries fired 800 seafaring staff with immediate effect saying it needed to secure the future of the business.

The RMT union said crew members were being replaced with foreign labour.

Staff occupied the boat for more than five hours.

P&O's Pride of Hull ferry operates a nightly service between the city and Rotterdam.

Gary Jackson, from the RMT, described P&O's actions as "unacceptable" and "unforgivable" and said crew members were "absolutely devastated".

He told reporters at King George Dock: "I got on board and spoke to the captain and we said we've got to lift the gangway until we've got an agreement.

"At 11am, ratings and officers were informed there was going to be a pre-recorded Zoom meeting. After that two to three-minute call all the crew were made redundant."

He added : "I've seen grown men crying on there because they don't know where they're going to go from today."

"It's utter dismay," said one of about 50 crew members who lost their jobs.

"I've worked for the company for 22 years, other crew members for 35 years, 28 years. It's our lives."

He added: "We don't know where to turn now. It seems like the whole seafaring industry is being taken away from British crews."

Speaking in the House of Commons, Transport Minister Robert Courts said P&O's actions were "wholly unacceptable".

Mr Courts said he had made that point "crystal clear" when he spoke to the company's management.

"I am extremely concerned and frankly angry at the way workers have been treated by P&O," he added.

But P&O said its survival was dependent on "making swift and significant changes now".

"In its current state, P&O Ferries is not a viable business. We have made a £100m loss year-on-year, which has been covered by our parent DP World," it said.

"This is not sustainable. Without these changes, there is no future for P&O Ferries."

Earlier, Hull East Labour MP Karl Turner and the city's two other Labour MPs had written a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps calling on him to intervene in the dispute.

The MPs described P&O's actions as a "disgraceful decision" and said if the company refused to back down then the ship should have the name The Pride of Hull removed.

"This shocking move has been made without warning, notice or consultation, in a deliberate attempt to undercut the wages and conditions of British seafarers," the letter said.

Mr Shapps said officials would hold "urgent discussions" with P&O.

Mark Dickinson, general secretary of maritime union Nautilus International, said: "The news that P&O Ferries is sacking the crew across its entire UK fleet is a betrayal of British workers.

"It is nothing short of scandalous given that this Dubai-owned company received millions of pounds of British taxpayers' money during the pandemic."

Many P&O seafarers were furloughed during the coronavirus crisis, with the government paying up to 80% of their wages.

One passenger stuck in the Netherlands awaiting tonight's sailing to Hull said P&O had provided "no information".

Emma Davies said she had no hotel room or money left.

"We found out via Twitter just like everyone else," she said.

"We don't even know if the ferry is running. We don't know if the bus is running to get us to the port."

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