Save Jobs, Nationalise P&O Ferries!

By Dave Reid

P&O Ferries, owned by Dubai-based DP World have sacked 800 workers in a pre-recorded message on zoom. The bosses turned up with agency workers to replace them backed up by security guards ready to handcuff workers who refused to leave the ships. Workers responded by occupying some of the ferries and are protesting in demonstrations in Dover, Hull and Liverpool as this article is being written.

The company blamed the move on £100m lost during the pandemic, but lock-downs are over for now and its losses were mitigated by millions of pounds in the government-financed furlough during the pandemic. DP World paid shareholders a £270m dividend during the pandemic and P&O reported an 11% jump in revenue last year. The company paid £147m to sponsor the 2022 European Golf Tour. So, after the government subsidised the business to keep it going, P&O has now axed the jobs of 800 people in the face of the deepest cost-of-living crisis in generations.

A succession of Tory and Labour politicians have condemned the company. But hand-wringing will do no good. The Tories knew about the sacking the day before but did nothing to warn the workers or protect their jobs. They voted down a bill to outlaw fire-and-rehire and have made it easier while making industrial action to prevent it even harder. If the P&O workers take strike action or occupy the ships the Tories would prosecute them and their union. And Labour refuses to reverse the Tory anti-union laws if they come to power.

The RMT has called for:

• The government to demand P&O reverse its decision and hold negotiations with the unions so that jobs and services can be reinstated – If this does not happen the government should use powers to take over the P&O vessels.
• Remove any government support for P&O owners DP World, including future contracts, including Freeports, and directly support the retention of P&O jobs instead.
• A widespread public and commercial boycott of P&O – “we won’t go with P&O” until the jobs are reinstated.
• New legislation to ensure this can never happen to other UK workers and new laws to protect the long-term future of workers in the UK maritime industry

The TUC must publicly back any action that the workers take to save the jobs. Action must be taken now to force the Tories to nationalise P&O and re-nationalise ferries. And there must be a national campaign of action including strike action to demand that fire and rehire is banned.