P&O Ferries
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)P&O Ferries has been accused of paying as little as £1.81 an hour to agency staff who replaced workers on its ships.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said some seafarers hired as replacements for the 800 staff fired without notice last week were making just $2.38 (£1.81) an hour.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said it was a “shocking exploitation of those seafarers and another gut-wrenching betrayal of those who have been sacked.”
P&O Ferries was contacted for comment, but did not return calls
Minimum wage in the UK for employees aged 23 and above is £8.91 per hour. However, shipping companies registered in other countries can pay below the minimum wage because they are exempt from UK employment law even when operating routes from UK ports to Europe. Some of P&O Ferries’ fleet are registered in territories outside the UK.
Lynch said: “The rule of law and acceptable norms of decent employment and behaviour have completely broken down beneath the white cliffs of Dover and in other ports, yet five days into this national crisis the government has done nothing to stop it.
“These ships of shame must not be allowed to sail. The government has to step in now and take control before it’s too late.”
P&O informed staff on Thursday they were losing their jobs as part of a plan to halve crewing costs. P&O suffered losses of £100 million last year, partially due to a severe drop-off in bookings caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Its owner, Dubai-based DP World, recently reported record profits of £2.9 billion.
P&O Ferries staff were informed they were being made redundant via a zoom video call while they were still working on board the fleet.
The government has condemned the way P&O handled the sackings and has said it is reviewing its relationship with the company in light of the incident.
