P&O Ferries told to stay in port

[dash300]

Yes….. Shiphandling (these guys don‘t use tugs, just thrusters) is a repetitive job same berths day in day out but the scope for expensive error is high. Have a read of the Herald of Free Enterprise MAIB report; a real eye opener.

I do have have a bow thruster on my Broom and a great piece of kit it is. If only it was silent!! I try to avoid using it if at all possible.
The IPS drive boats of course have the advantage over me, some even self moor!!!

 

[Coolcats]

Glad to see that you’re still getting the b word into your posts, would not be the same if you didn’t

Maybe, but it’s sad but true

 

[Chris CM]

P&O paying ‘handcuff-trained’ personnel £14.50 an hour to deal with sacked seafarers​

Email to private security firm indicates shipowner anticipated potential problems with immediate redundancies

17 March 2022 15:31 GMT UPDATED 17 March 2022 15:31 GMT
By Gary Dixon in London

An email sent to staff at a private security firm shows how P&O Ferries anticipated trouble following its decision to immediately make 800 UK seafarers redundant on its ships.
The message, seen by the Daily Telegraph, reveals the move was prepared at least a number of days in advance, but no notice was given to staff.
https://www.tradewindsnews.com/news/2-1-1186560
The unnamed security firm was asked to send 16 handcuff-trained officers to the Port of Dover in England in case of a “backlash” among crews.
Union members on P&O Ferries have reportedly refused to leave their ships after the ferries were ordered into port on Thursday so that cheaper agency workers could be sent on board instead.
The email, whose sender is not specified in the Telegraph report, states the security officers will be paid £14.50 ($19) per hour for their work.
“You have been selected to deploy on a task in Dover that will be fairly high profile. This task will run for one week,” the email reads. “As of the 17th you will be dispatched by coach to Dover docks to assist the client in their delivery.”

The officers are told information is limited about the nature of the work because of a non-disclosure agreement.
But the personnel were needed to supplement P&O Ferries’ own security teams in the “unlikely” event some of the crew members become “challenging”.
“Essentially, our client will be informing staff of redundancies and there is a possible risk of backlash,” the email continued.
Staff are told to bring their uniforms, including cuffs and a utility belt. But body armour would not be needed, they were advised.

'Shameful act'​

The message also reveals the security officers were told to travel to a hotel in the area by Tuesday, for training on Wednesday.
RMT union general secretary Mick Lynch said he was receiving reports that the security teams were seeking to board ships at Dover.
“We are seeking urgent legal action and are again calling for the government to take action to stop what is fast turning into one of the most shameful acts in the history of British industrial relations,” he added.
“If this happens at P&O it can happen anywhere and we are calling for mass trade union and wider public mobilisation and protest against the company.”

I doubt very much whether it would be legal for these so called “officers” to use their handcuffs as they do not have the power of arrest and to use them would constitute an assault and false imprisonment.

 

[The Wino]

I doubt very much whether it would be legal for these so called “officers” to use their handcuffs as they do not have the power of arrest and to use them would constitute an assault and false imprisonment.

It would be an interesting legal question if the new personnel gave the squatters a chance to leave and if they didn't set sail outside our territorial waters. Once outside presumably on a foreign registered vessel UK law no longer applies. Any damage or action to prevent setting sail would be illegal. I think the ferry company management will have taken quite extensive legal advice on the various scenarios.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Finding myself in a similar position this week, with 2 working days notice given to me of a meeting I was sequestered to attend for a section 111A meeting only to be offered a poultry leaving package that actually undercut the minimum legal requirement as a reward for my 30 years of dedicated hard work and service I'm finding quite a lot of sympathy for their predicament.
I would say, P&OKE, P&O ferries and use an alternative provider.
Mike.

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[Tonks]

Finding myself in a similar position this week, with 2 working days notice given to me of a meeting I was sequestered to attend for a section 111A meeting only to be offered a poultry leaving package that actually undercut the minimum legal requirement as a reward for my 30 years of dedicated hard work and service I'm finding quite a lot of sympathy for their predicament.
I would say, P&OKE, P&O ferries and use an alternative provider.
Mike.

Wishing you all the best after this crappy thing was done to you.
I have every sympathy as I was made illegally redundant 5 years ago with 36 other people, with just one hour's notice and no severance pay whatsoever. In fact, the company (which I'd worked for for 20+ years) laid us off the day before pay day, and eventually only paid us half of our final month's pay. It took over a year to get the final pension contribution which was shown on my pay slip but which hadn't appeared in my pension account. The company 'went into administration', and immediately re-appeared under almost exactly the same name, doing the same thing, as an LTD. The Administrators have so far earned well over £1m out of the process, and none of the creditors have yet received a penny from our previous employer. And are unlikely to IMHO. Although a large section of the group took them to court and won.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Wishing you all the best after this crappy thing was done to you.
I have every sympathy as I was made illegally redundant 5 years ago with 36 other people, with just one hour's notice and no severance pay whatsoever. In fact, the company (which I'd worked for for 20+ years) laid us off the day before pay day, and eventually only paid us half of our final month's pay. It took over a year to get the final pension contribution which was shown on my pay slip but which hadn't appeared in my pension account. The company 'went into administration', and immediately re-appeared under almost exactly the same name, doing the same thing, as an LTD. The Administrators have so far earned well over £1m out of the process, and none of the creditors have yet received a penny from our previous employer. And are unlikely to IMHO. Although a large section of the group took them to court and won.

.

 

[wiljoy]

Early on in the pandemic DP World were asking for around $200m(?) in support from UK Government. Did this happen?
Think they got a few million to keep the Irish services operating though.

Think there is \ was also a shortfall of a few hundred million in P&O pension pot that may fall on UK taxpayers.

It sounds very much like Nissan blackmail. We'll close the factory unless we get some financial support. Problem is the same company owns P&O that funded our Feeeports.
£20 million may help!!!

 

[The Wino]

It sounds very much like Nissan blackmail. We'll close the factory unless we get some financial support. Problem is the same company owns P&O that funded our Feeeports.
£20 million may help!!!

Are they the new freeports that are the big economic hope? If so good to see trustworthy people operating them.

 

[Jonny1953]

When it was EU to EU port calls never leaving EU waters they needed EU staff paid at EU rates.

Now the UK is 'offshore' P&O can employ staff from anywhere in the world paid at local rates and rules for that country.

This a genuine Brexit Benefit (If you own a ferry, and not one of the staff)

Not correct.

No such thing as EU waters, don't know what you mean by UK is offshore and absolutely nothing to do with Brexit, worth noting is that this is not a UK or European company and the ships are not UK registered.

Shipping companies can and always have, manned their ships with people from any nationality as long as they have the correct qualifications. Before 1978 they needed certificates which were issued in the country where the ship was registered, post 1978 the IMO introduced STCW78 and seafarers qualifications needed to meet these standards.

What P&O Ferries are doing here is cancelling the contracts of 800 UK and Irish seafarers and taking on agency staff which will make a huge saving on wages, pensions etc, shipping companies have been doing this for more than 40 years now, the thing about this is the underhanded way that P&O are doing things

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[Jonny1953]

It would be an interesting legal question if the new personnel gave the squatters a chance to leave and if they didn't set sail outside our territorial waters. Once outside presumably on a foreign registered vessel UK law no longer applies. Any damage or action to prevent setting sail would be illegal. I think the ferry company management will have taken quite extensive legal advice on the various scenarios.

Before the vessels leave port, the MCA should carry out a Port State Control inspection, not just to make sure that the crew have the correct qualifications but also to ensure that they are fully competent in all operations on the vessel. This will obviously include fire and boat drills, breakdown procedures etc. I very much doubt that a completely new crew would be up and running within a week to pass this inspection,

I have personally seen an MCA Surveyor stop a ship from sailing because the 2nd mate didn't have up to date chart corrections

 

[wiljoy]

Are they the new freeports that are the big economic hope? If so good to see trustworthy people operating them.

 

[Montecatini]

A colleague of mine turned down a mysterious engineering position on a ferry he was offered via email last week. Incredibly limited details disclosed at the time which seemed strange - transpires this was from the agency that was used by P&O to provide new crew in yesterday's disgraceful scenes... by HUGE coincidence the start date for his job would have been yesterday !

The agency was named in Parliament yesterday & I was genuinely shocked to hear it as they really are (or were) a reputable outfit.
I hope they are also hanging their heads in shame today for their complicit actions yesterday and the substantial underhand preparations that must have gone on in the run up to it.

 

[Spriddler]

The agency was named in Parliament yesterday & I was genuinely shocked to hear it as they really are (or were) a reputable outfit.
I hope they are also hanging their heads in shame today for their complicit actions yesterday and the substantial underhand preparations that must have gone on in the run up to it.

I doubt it.
They are just another commercial enterprise. Doing the honourable thing won't pay buildings rent or staff, satisfy shareholders and pension funds or repay loans and overdrafts.

 

[Jonny1953]

A colleague of mine turned down a mysterious engineering position on a ferry he was offered via email last week. Incredibly limited details disclosed at the time which seemed strange - transpires this was from the agency that was used by P&O to provide new crew in yesterday's disgraceful scenes... by HUGE coincidence the start date for his job would have been yesterday !

The agency was named in Parliament yesterday & I was genuinely shocked to hear it as they really are (or were) a reputable outfit.
I hope they are also hanging their heads in shame today for their complicit actions yesterday and the substantial underhand preparations that must have gone on in the run up to it.

Was it Clyde Marine?

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[Clipgate]

Welcome to Singapore on Thames, the majority voted for it. Now reap the rewards, well the working man will not for sure. But it's what they wanted of course.
On another note the P&O crews were met with security guards armed with pepper spray and handcuffs, when challenged they told the crew officer we have full UK authority.
Government know nothing!
This first hand information

 

[Montecatini]

Yes, Clyde Marine were named & condemned by one of the shadow spokespersons in the commons yesterday afternoon

 

[Jonny1953]

Welcome to Singapore on Thames, the majority voted for it. Now reap the rewards, well the working man will not for sure. But it's what they wanted of course.

Is this really necessary, A foreign company with ships registered abroad, time to get over Brexit and why hide it using another term

 

[John Barrett]

Is this really necessary, A foreign company with ships registered abroad, time to get over Brexit and why hide it using another term

Agreed. Nothing to do with 'B' but some people have to keep their axe sharpened!

 

[Jonny1953]

Yes, Clyde Marine were named & condemned by one of the shadow spokespersons in the commons yesterday afternoon

A friend of mine knows two of the crew on P&Os northern ferries who work for Clyde Marine, they were told to stay on the ship to fulfil their contracts as they are not direct P&O employees, they also said that a lot of Russians joined the ferry as the new crew, I can't confirm that though

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[Rosemary1]

Yes…..and not because it is the most boring shipmaster job going. One Captain described it as being a glorified bus driver carrying out a stressful but highly repetitive task day in day out but under immense pressure for scheduling from management and not losing a single minute. It was bad enough deep sea, where they sent a harbour pilot out to do the fun bits

Responsible for a lot of property and peoples lives, worth every penny I would think

 

[dash300]

Welcome to Singapore on Thames, the majority voted for it. Now reap the rewards, well the working man will not for sure. But it's what they wanted of course.
On another note the P&O crews were met with security guards armed with pepper spray and handcuffs, when challenged they told the crew officer we have full UK authority.
Government know nothing!
This first hand information

Security Guards are not allowed to carry Pepper Spray. It's classed as a Prohibited Weapon under the Firearms Act.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Responsible for a lot of property and peoples lives, worth every penny I would think

Oh yes..... I was deep sea but have massive respect for the ferry captains. They alternately loved and hated their jobs.... but nobody can doubt their ship handling skills

 

[Spriddler]

Oh yes..... I was deep sea but have massive respect for the ferry captains. They alternately loved and hated their jobs.... but nobody can doubt their ship handling skills

My aunt used to say that she didn't know how I could be happy in my little boat so far from civilisation and with all that water under me.
I had to explain that it was far safer than being in busy shipping lanes and coastal shallows.

 

[cyberyacht]

Nobody has said who is in command of the vessels.

Are the Captains still on board?

What happens if a fire breaks out? Who takes control?

Have look at today's cartoon by Matt in the Telegraph.

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[chaser]

Can anyone tell me what the hell is Singapore on Thames please?
Can't remember voting for anything.

 

[nicholsong]

Have look at today's cartoon by Matt in the Telegraph.

No can do. Can you copy it onto here please?

 

[DuxDeluxe]

No can do. Can you copy it onto here please?

Matt cartoons – March 2022

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Jamesh]

A friend of mine knows two of the crew on P&Os northern ferries who work for Clyde Marine, they were told to stay on the ship to fulfil their contracts as they are not direct P&O employees, they also said that a lot of Russians joined the ferry as the new crew, I can't confirm that though

Employing Russians - you couldn't make it up!!!

 

[Ivory55]

I wonder if there is some Russian money in the controlling company and is pulling some strings ?

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