Strange Goings-On At P&O Ferries

[Zacs-Master]

https://www.reuters.com/business/uk-registered-po-ferries-suspends-services-says-it-is-not-going-bust-2022-03-17/

[davebro]

Not so strange - if you're losing money big time you got to look at ways to cut costs or go bust innit.

[choux]

DP reported profits of £683m last year. Sack all staff and recruit foreign staff to replace them,then say staff can re-apply via agencies. What a shower!

[Atheist]

I heard that the owners are from Abu Dhabi.

[Hopkirk]

Dubai, I think

[Atheist]

Hopkirk, you're probably right.

[choux]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10622893/P-O-Ferries-suspends-sailings-ahead-major-announcement.html

[Zacs-Master]

Yes, the owners are Dubai based. I thought it was 'illegal' to sack workers and replace them as this indicates that there is still a position available?

[youngmafbog]

Are they employed in the UK though or through another country or maybe they are zero notice contracts like I have?

I see the Unions want a sit in. If you take over a ship isnt that Piracy?

[davebro]

ARRRRGH Jim Lad!

(I think it only applies to ships "at sea")

[Zacs-Master]

You're probably right, YMB. What a way to treat people, especially in these tough times.

[choux]

Short video on the link I gave: P&O Ferries owner demands £150m bailout from the government to stop the firm collapsing. ?!

[youngmafbog]

Possibly Dave, more of a question to a thought I had. Perhaps thats why they docked all the ships up so they didnt get into that mess.

I agree ZM, but over the years I have seen some pretty brutal 'sackings' especially in City in the early 90's. Black bag day it became known as since when people turned up for work they found their door pass didnt work, when they went to security they took their passes and handed them an envelope and a black bag of their belongings from their desks. There were many disgusting practices too.

[davebro]

The Spithead Mutiny wasn't really "at sea" but wasn't really a mutiny:

"The Spithead mutiny was a simple, peaceful, successful strike action to address economic grievances"

The perps were pardoned.

[Zacs-Master]

Bit of an extract from the Zoom call to all employees......"The company has made the decision that its vessels going forward will be primarily crewed by a third party crew provider.

Therefore I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy"

[ToraToraTora]

another victim of the world wide overreaction to the pandemic, not surprised. Gromit will love it.

[youngmafbog]

//DP reported profits of £683m last year. //

Yes they did but P&O is just one part of their portfolio so its not really relevant. From what I can glean from reports P&O is broke, one of the casualties of lockdowns and restricted travel. They wont be the last.

[douglas9401]

Well they know where they can stick their ferries then.

Third party or third world?

[youngmafbog]

Probably dont own the ferries, or at least P&O Ferries probably dont own them. It seems DP World is a typical multinational with companies within companies, partly to protect itself, partly for tax and also to prevent takeover I suspect. They bought back P&O Ferries just a couple of years back if its not making money they will have little choice but to collapse it if there is no buyer or government funding.

[jno]

its vessels going forward will be primarily crewed by a third party crew provider

and, um, the ones going backward?

[choux]

A reversal of fortune, I expect.