After P&O Ferries sacked 800 of their staff via a Microsoft Teams calls last month, failing to consult with workers or trade unions in the process, the company now faces protests at its sites across the UK.
Despite concerns that the ferry operator has essentially “got away with,” the mass sackings, which were in breach of employment law, the RMT trade union is pushing forward with a campaign against P&O Ferries and calling for better workers rights across the maritime sector.
The government has announced a package of measures aimed at tightening up regulations for seafarers going forward, and a change to minimum wage law for maritime workers which they say will remove the incentive for P&O to replace their former staff with agency workers.
5. Labour MPs show support
Hull Labour MPs Emma Hardy and Karl McCartney attended the demonstration to show their support for P&O workers, with Hardy calling for a change in the law to make sure, “something like this can never happen again”. | Photo: Ethan Shone/NationalWorld
6. ‘Everybody’s fight’
The demonstration was led by RMT national secretary Darren Procter. He said: “This is not about the RMT and it’s not just about 800 seafarers, this is about every single individual - every single worker.” “Because if they can do this to a ferry company as well known as P&O, if they can rip up terms and conditions covered by a collective bargaining agreement and not go through due process, then whoever you work for, it will become a very dangerous precedent and it’s everybody’s fight. | Photo: Ethan Shone/NationalWorld
7. Disrupt
After gathering nearby the protesters then marched toward the terminal entrance. Part of the RMT’s approach to the dispute is now to try and disrupt P&O’s operations to maintain pressure on the company. | Photo: Ethan Shone/NationalWorld
8. Locked out
As protesters approached, staff inside P&O’s building hurriedly locked the front doors, while Mr Procter called for those inside to come out and support their former colleagues by joining the boycott. | Photo: Ethan Shone/NationalWorld