To avoid ever booking with P&O

[myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses]

The sackings were disgusting, but with the event of todays news that the replacement workers are being paid just over £5 per hour I wouldn't give the directors of P&O a penny of my money.
Such diabolical treatment of people.

YADNBU!

[quote PugInTheHouse]@myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses as long as you mean P&O Ferries then 100% yes. P&O Cruises are a completely different company, sadly many people don't seem to realise this.[/quote]
I wonder if the cruise business can sue the ferry for damaging the brand name? Presumably there was some kind of agreement when the company was broken up.

I agree that I would be concerned about safety. Which other laws and regulations are they going to decide to break?

Agree this seems extremely unfortunate for P&O cruises.

I wouldn’t use them again after this no.

We have used them a fair amount because the ferries from Hull are really convenient for us and they are the only operator.

We have a booking in the next week and their communication with customers has been appalling. They are unable to commit to when services will resume, only confirming cancellations late which makes it harder to find an alternative. I would rather they cancelled so we could book something else, although it does appear that they will start running a service on alternate days from today/tomorrow (using a Dutch based crew who weren't sacked). Our outward leg is on one of the days that is running, but our return leg isn't (although it gives another 10 days to get the second boat up and running) so not quite sure what will happen. Luckily both our jobs are flexible enough to take an extra days holiday at short notice if we end up having to come back a day later.

Don't forget that it's only P&O Ferries we are talking about. P&O Cruises are a separate company, bought out many years ago by Carnival and now unrelated. Apparently the cruise company have had a lot of complaints and attacks even though they're nothing to do with it (they are based in the town where I live)

Sorry I see someone else has mentioned it already, but still worth reiterating!

Are P&O cruises any better? Don't they employ a lot of low paid Filipino staff and keep the boats registered in Bermuda?

Yeah p&o cruises are having a nightmare atm. I rung the other day to ask a question and their opening messages was effectively "we are not related to p&o ferries. Please do not call to ask questions or complain about them"

@Bells3032

Yeah p&o cruises are having a nightmare atm. I rung the other day to ask a question and their opening messages was effectively "we are not related to p&o ferries. Please do not call to ask questions or complain about them"

That's a nightmare for them! Their business will suffer, because people will connect them.

P&O Cruises should probably rebrand and change their name

@carefullycourageous

It is a good idea to boycott unethical companies, I never use Amazon due to their tax dodging and the way they treat workers.

The government knew in advance of course, and supports fire and rehire practices, they have never tried to stop it. So if you care about workers, boycott the Conservative Party too.

I thought they said they didn't tell the government as there was no need to because the ferries aren't registered in the UK

Why would they lie about that when it actaually works in their favour? Do you have a link @carefullycourageous I cant understand the P and O boss strategy at all

The brand P&O is completely toxic now. Will never use them. Was planning a trip to Dunreil this summer going Hull Rotterdam but will find an alternative holiday now if it involves going on P&O.

Definitely think that thus will compromise safety.

I hope they experience legal repercussions.

@ZenNudist

The brand P&O is completely toxic now. Will never use them. Was planning a trip to Dunreil this summer going Hull Rotterdam but will find an alternative holiday now if it involves going on P&O.

Definitely think that thus will compromise safety.

I hope they experience legal repercussions.

I agree yesterday's hearing was their Gerald Rather moment

Frieght companies possibly wont care but I'm sure they'll see a huge fall in passengers

I think it’s important to remember that P&O ferries were just thrown in as a job lot when the parent company, majority owned by the State of Dubai, bought the ports of Southampton and London Gateway.

They are now at the centre of the Government’s ‘Singapore on Thames’ Freeport scheme.

This puts a central part of U.K. infrastructure under the control of a company that has shown it couldn’t care less about U.K. regulations, and a country with politics.

P&O is just a small part of the problem. When a company (or country) tells you who they are, believe them.

Have they been allowed to monopolise the industry? I was shocked to realise that P&O own the ferry terminal at Larne in Northern Ireland. This is such an important terminal for an area where food is already over priced and wages are low. They've had a game plan and they should never have been allowed to exert such control.
Their CEO was shockingly arrogant and I hope he realizes he's as dispensable as the other workers.

Used to use the Hull rotterdam overnight ferry a lit when living in Germany. European staff amongst the cleaners, waiting staff etc were definitely a minority. (Ships officers and entertainment staff were European though!)

I think the whole industry needs looking at, but its an international issue.

Yes, another addition to my boycott list.

A close friend has been extensively involved in the legalities of this (works for p&o)

I won’t go in to detail for fear of getting her/him in trouble

But I will say that there is a lot more to this than been reported.

The redundancy packages are incredibly generous

If p&o had not done what they did - there would have been no redundancy packages and everyone out of jobs and all their suppliers left without payment.

So I would absolutely use P&O.
The only thing that would stop me is that I have very little desire to go on a cruise!

@ButtockUp

Sorry.. P&O Cruises are owned by a British company.

Carnival Cruises, British American company to be exact.

I cross the channel a lot to go home and I've very rarely gone with P&O. I usually go with DFDS. They're not only cheaper usually, but they throw in a free meal too.

@implantreplace

A close friend has been extensively involved in the legalities of this (works for p&o)

I won’t go in to detail for fear of getting her/him in trouble

But I will say that there is a lot more to this than been reported.

The redundancy packages are incredibly generous

If p&o had not done what they did - there would have been no redundancy packages and everyone out of jobs and all their suppliers left without payment.

So I would absolutely use P&O.
The only thing that would stop me is that I have very little desire to go on a cruise!

That's interesting as I had a covrsation along those lines yesterday. It does seem an unbelievable way to act so if there is more to it that would make perfect sense

I do know that not getting the notice allows the staff to go for financial compensation. It would be very interesting to what has gone on behind the scenes

Seen a comment somewhere that carnival (parent of p&o cruises) and DP world Owners of p&o) had major shareholders in common

Had a quick Google & not mentioned anywhere else so not sure how true.

800 staff
£37 million pound redundancy payable
40 getting more than £100,000

P&o had to do what they did to avoid scorched earth
They have provided incredibly generous redundancy packages

The p&o employee forums are back to back with people very happy

I'm sure I read the replacement staff were getting a lot less than £5.50.

Whether or not P&O have behaved legally, I don't think I'd feel comfortable getting on a boat that leaves the UK where I know everyone is being paid peanuts.

Visiting somewhere abroad where wages are low but the cost of living is low is entirely different. This is, quite literally, too close to home for me. I won't facilitate the race to the bottom.