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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To avoid ever booking with P&O

124 replies

myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses · 24/03/2022 16:59

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.

OP posts:
Tallesttiptoes · 25/03/2022 09:46

I will never book with them again. I’m furious about it. Even if there were generous packages that does not make this ok! It doesn’t address the complete lack of compliance with employment legislation or the paltry wages of new agency staff. If staff are on tiny wages and too scared to speak up that’s a safety nightmare. You can go through a consultation exercise, still make redundancies and award decent packages. If their finances are so in the ropes that they had to move this quickly why are none of the Directors impacted on their massive salaries. It’s an outright deeply cynical and illegal move and they’ve basically admitted to it.

No one reports safety issues in a culture of fear and now that none of the agency workers have any employment rights that’s what they will be working in. We are unfortunately travelling with them soon, it’s a non refundable ticket rolled over since 2020 and I am really quite worried about it. If I could afford to, I would cancel and rebook but unfortunately I can’t.

Characterisartion · 25/03/2022 09:47

well i know who i'd never use again personally

consumers can vote with their feet

"unsustainable business model" (which i don't believe anyway) doesn't justify such shitty behaviour - they really thought they were going to get away with it, i think.

well, i hope consumers have a long memory. i do!

Ownedbymycats · 25/03/2022 09:48

Are we now at a stage where it would seem appropriate to tip the staff on the ferry because they're on such poor wages. I don't accept the idea that there's some elusive truth which can't be shared with us but would make sense of the situation. The unions and the law were not recognized, that should be a huge concern to us all.

Merrymouse · 25/03/2022 09:48

@implantreplace

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

Some agency staff are being paid £1.80 an hour. I really don’t care if some P&O staff are happy with a £100k pay out. There is a bigger picture.
Merrymouse · 25/03/2022 09:49

I don't accept the idea that there's some elusive truth which can't be shared with us but would make sense of the situation. The unions and the law were not recognized, that should be a huge concern to us all.

Agree.

CremeEggThief · 25/03/2022 09:51

I won't use them again and I would be very disappointed to hear or know anyone close to me using them.

Absolute disgusting company. The CEO should be sacked and his bonus and payout given to the poor workers as extra compensation. Of course it won't happen, but it should!

FrydianSlip · 25/03/2022 09:52

I have a feeling Irish Ferries do something similar, ie use cheap east European staff.

Mindtheears · 25/03/2022 09:52

Great, so the staff on the way out are happy but agency staff are now running the fleet on poor wages and other companies will be looked that what happens next with interest. Trebles all round!

Jjjayfee · 25/03/2022 09:53

Absolutely

gogohm · 25/03/2022 09:56

I suggest those of you boycotting p&o boycott the other ferry companies too, most of not all hire on seafarers contracts which avoid minimum wage legislation. I'm looking into Brittany ferries currently to see if they are ethical (calmac in Scotland pay Scottish wages as an aside, I checked)

Original poster
myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses · 25/03/2022 09:57

Sorry I didn't specify in my OP that I was referring to P&O Ferries. It didn't even register with me to do so.

I also hadn't considered the safety element many have mentioned here. I wouldn't expect THOSE type of corners to be cut, but as many say you just can't trust them now.

In effect, "we knew no union would accept our proposals, so we did it anyway...." . But I bet your £325,000 a year still feels nice....

OP posts:
crepesncream · 25/03/2022 11:08

Stena line for me in future. More expensive but I don't care.

DGRossetti · 25/03/2022 11:26

I also hadn't considered the safety element many have mentioned here. I wouldn't expect THOSE type of corners to be cut,

This is a company whose CEO has said they would break the law in pursuit of profit. If people insist on using P&O after this (because they will have to be cheap to attract customers) maybe swimming lessons are a good idea ? Keep some armbands in your car.

SeasonFinale · 25/03/2022 11:44

They haven't broken the law because they are not a UK based company and the firings took place in international water. The people they have retired are from countries where the rate they are being paid is an acceptable one.

The company is trading on an insolvent basis and was going to go bust anyway. Therefore it is a last attempt to save it from going under and I suspect there will be plenty of people who actually still use the ferry service for convenience to them. If they don't they are in the same position as they would have been anyway ie. going under.

SeasonFinale · 25/03/2022 11:44
  • rehired not retired!
Gazelda · 25/03/2022 11:47

I exchanged a whole load of Tesco points into £270 worth of p&o vouchers a few days before the announcement. I had intended to book dover /Calais for our hols later this year.

I feel as though I should write the vouchers off, and book with another operator. But That feels such a waste of money. I'm torn.

RandomThought96 · 25/03/2022 11:58

If you want totravel from Rotterdam to Hull there is not a lot of choice!

DGRossetti · 25/03/2022 12:03

They haven't broken the law because they are not a UK based company and the firings took place in international water.

So their CEO lied ?

loopylindi · 25/03/2022 12:11

@jay55

Are P&O cruises any better? Don't they employ a lot of low paid Filipino staff and keep the boats registered in Bermuda?
We've been on a couple of cruises where the company (based in Folkstone) employ Filipino crew. We had a problem with this until we spoke to some of the crew who said that most of the money they earned was sent home and that the company treated them really well if they needed to go home for example. Of course, this could have all been good PR!!! What they did say, which was probably true, was that they earned a lot more on the ships than they could have ever earned at home
AllOfUsAreDead · 25/03/2022 20:45

@Gazelda

I exchanged a whole load of Tesco points into £270 worth of p&o vouchers a few days before the announcement. I had intended to book dover /Calais for our hols later this year.

I feel as though I should write the vouchers off, and book with another operator. But That feels such a waste of money. I'm torn.

Ask tesco if you can switch back?
MrsSkylerWhite · 25/03/2022 20:47

You’ll need to check the pay rate of the staff on the alternative lines too. Seems diabolical treatment is pretty commonplace for mariners worldwide.

Bohemianwannabe · 25/03/2022 20:49

Pay all the sacked staff their money then let them go bust sell ships for scrap and send the cash to Ukraine utter bastards will never ever book them ever again

UsernameInTheTown · 25/03/2022 21:04

If P&O refuse to comply with UK employment law then why tf are they still using our ports? Take the fuckers license to do this off them. This country is pathetic.

EveryCloudIsGrey · 25/03/2022 21:13

@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!

Exactly. Staff would have been fired even if it was done to the letter of the law but they would hav received less money.

I presume everyone boycotting them will also be boycotting all other companies who employ people on low wages. I don't know what other international shipping companies pay their staff but I'd guess it isn't going to be more. So that will mean people will have to go without goods that are shipped to the UK. Good luck with that 😅

Or will that be too inconvenient for people 🤔

LemonJelly76 · 25/03/2022 21:29

Cancelled my booking and rebooked with Stena. I will never travel with them.