P&O has resumed its services between Liverpool and Dublin just days after sacking 800 staff members.
The ferry company terminated the contracts of all of their workers on Thursday, causing outrage across the country. The shock announcement came just hours after P&O suspended all of its services.
P&O said on Saturday it has now resumed services between Liverpool and Dublin and all customers with affected travel will be contacted.
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Huge protests were held in Liverpool, Hull and Dover on Friday in a backlash against the company's decision to replace staff with agency workers. Metro mayor of Liverpool Steve Rotheram, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson joined the demonstration.
Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said the firings were a "disgrace". He said: "It's an absolute disgrace that in this day and age a company, just overnight, can say that's the end of your job, that's the end of your loyal service, you're sacked and you've got no right to appeal."
Mr Burnham called for a boycott of P&O Ferries as he offered support at the demonstration.
Mr Esterson said: “For loyal workers with years of experience to be summarily sacked with no warning at all is an outrage. It is draconian and Dickensian from P&O’s parent company DP World.
“It was an amazing turnout at the Port of Liverpool – trade unionists and local people. It shows the strength of feeling at this shocking and unacceptable decision by the company to sack a loyal workforce and replace them with agency staff at a fraction of the cost.
“The Government must intervene. Warm words are not enough. P&O must reinstate every single sacked seafarer.”
P&O Ferries released a lengthy statement yesterday in response to the fury provoked by their decision to sack nearly a quarter of their staff via a video message on Thursday. The firm stated that it was a 'difficult decision' to make.
A spokesperson for P&O Ferries said: "We know that for our staff this redundancy came without warning or prior consultation, and we fully understand that this has caused distress for them and their families. We took this difficult decision as a last resort and only after full consideration of all other options but, ultimately, we concluded that the business wouldn’t survive without fundamentally changed crewing arrangements, which in turn would inevitably result in redundancies.
"We also took the view, in good faith, that reaching agreement on the way forward would be impossible and against this background, that the process itself would be highly disruptive, not just for the business but for UK trade and tourism. We have offered enhanced severance terms to those affected to properly and promptly compensate them for the lack of warning and consultation."
