P&O Ferries' latest push to recruit more agency staff after axing UK workforce

17 June 2023 , 17:14

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P&O Ferries' Spirit of Britain (right) arrives at Port of Dover last year (Image: PA)

Shamed P&O Ferries continues to recruit cheap agency staff from abroad after throwing almost its entire UK seafaring workforce overboard last year.

The company – which admitted breaking the law by sacking 800 people without notice in 2022 – plans to staff vessels via a Malta-based crewing agency.

PhilCrew was set up on April 6 and is registered to an address shared with more than 20 other companies. A document sent to staff states it will “serve P&O Ferries only”.

Workers must sign up with PhilCrew if they “wish to continue work on P&O Ferries’ vessels” and contracts will “continue to be reviewed”.

People protest outside Maritime House in Dover after the mass sackings (PA)

And one entry in the Q&A document appears to address fears over areas of focus, asking: “Will PhilCrew only source from the Philippines?” The answer given is: “PhilCrew intend to work with their partners in other countries as well as the Philippines to fulfil P&O Ferries’ requirements.”

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Union Nautilus International said: “P&O Ferries is determined to continue to recruit agency labour from abroad on lower wages and poor conditions.” General secretary Mark Dickinson added: “This latest development is just a further example of the contemptuous approach the company takes to its employees.”

Labour MP Richard Burgon ­accused the Government of turning a blind eye to P&O Ferries’ “unscrupulous” actions.

Peter Hebblethwaite, chief executive officer of P&O Ferries, has been blasted

He said: “This is shameless stuff from P&O. They got exposed last year for treating workers like dirt and were unapologetic about breaking employment law. They should stop the drive towards Victorian-era treatment of workers. And the Government should finally take real action.”

In March 2022, P&O replaced almost its entire UK seafaring staff with agency crew. Chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite was branded a criminal at a parliamentary hearing into the sackings, in which staff in average £36,000 roles were replaced with foreign crew on £5.15 an hour.

P&O Ferries was approached for comment.

John Siddle