Not good news Roger people loosing their jobs, what a couple of years the world has had. One thing it has shown is that nothing can be taken for granted and any future planning carries a lot of uncertainty Morphy

It’s an appalling way to treat their staff. I realise businesses have suffered over the last two years but this is not the way to handle it. Going to be an interesting watch over the next few days between P&O, the unions and the Government.

Apparently making all staff redundant and rehiring through agency's.
I always thought that was illegal under UK employment law, but a lot has changed since this happened to me

P&O ferries is owned by Dubai ports, which is owned by the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum, who met Boris yesterday.

A lot will depend on whether the seafarers have UK or Dubai contracts, if the latter, they are not worth the paper they are written on, as many of my friends from my time in the Middle East will agree.

Either way, because of their appalling conduct, P&O have just lost a customer, will stick to Stena/DFDS in future.

Charlie

Employment law may well have changed in the last 11 years since we sold our business. The definition of redundancy was that the position had ceased to exist, you couldn’t make someone redundant and then replace them. It’s too late for the P&O staff but this stinks.
Without getting political I hope everyone remembers this and shifts their custom, we will. I suspect in a years time people will just vote with their pocket taking the cheapest crossing. 😡

Apparently, P&O’s UK crew were easy to fire because their contracts were issued in Jersey as part of P&O’s “offshore employment model”. This allowed them to avoid Employers National insurance amongst other things.

The circa 50 Dutch + French crew, employed on contracts in the Netherlands and France respectively, were not dismissed yesterday.

Charlie

Is this employment anomaly another element of Brexit?

No, I don't think so. It's the problem of selling everything abroad to people who don't care what happens here.

In my case it was a multinational company and I was made redundant as Motor fleet manager 4 weeks short of the qualifying period for redundancy pay.
Then they asked me to teach the job to the marketing managers secretary (who was a non driver).
They then made the mistake of paying me in full, in advance, for the notice period. Guess what, two words, second one Off. I started a new career, self employed, the next day.