Indian seafarers hired to replace sacked P&O Ferries crews are being paid the equivalent of just £1.81 an hour, about 20% of the minimum wage, a union has claimed.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), which represented many of the 800 staff fired without notice last week, said their replacements are being paid well below the minimum wage in the UK.
General secretary Mick Lynch said: “The news that the seafarers now on ships in British ports are to be paid $2.38 (£1.81) an hour is a shocking exploitation of those seafarers and another gut-wrenching betrayal of those who have been sacked.
These ships of shame must not be allowed to sail.”
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary
“The rule of law and acceptable norms of decent employment and behaviour have completely broken down beneath the white cliffs of Dover and in other ports, yet five days into this national crisis the government has done nothing to stop it.
“These ships of shame must not be allowed to sail. The government has to step in now and take control before it’s too late.”
Replacement P&O crews on less than 25% of minimum wage
The minimum wage in the UK for people aged 23 and above is £8.91 per hour.
But companies using UK ports often register ships in other countries, allowing them to pay lower wages.
For example, some vessels operated by P&O Ferries are flagged in Cyprus.
#POLarne #POCairnryan Services remain suspended. It is no longer possible for us to arrange travel via an alternative operator on this route. For essential travel, customers are advised to seek alternatives themselves,
— P&O Ferries Updates (@POferriesupdate) March 21, 2022
When the firm informed staff on Thursday they were losing their jobs, it told them it was aiming to halve crewing costs.
No sailings have operated since that date.
The company posted on Twitter on Monday morning that services will remain suspended “for the next few days”.
Demonstrators will gather outside the London offices of P&O Ferries owner DP World on Monday afternoon, before marching to Parliament.
Calls for UK Government to suspend P&O contracts
Also on Monday afternoon, Labour will force an emergency vote in the Commons demanding that the Government takes action to outlaw the so-called fire and rehire of staff, which involves making workers redundant before giving them their jobs back with worse terms and conditions.
The party will also call on the UK Government to suspend contracts with DP World until the matter with P&O Ferries is resolved.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “What I want to see is those workers reinstated to their jobs, as they should never (have) been dismissed from them.
“I want to see the government take action here to ban this fire and rehire, which is the cause of this in the first place.
“There’s a vote on that this afternoon. So, what I don’t want to hear is ministers, government ministers, complaining about what P&O have done.
“Now they’ve got the chance to do something about it, vote this afternoon for reinstatement and banning fire and rehire.”
‘We won’t go with P&O’: Mariners and travellers asked to boycott ferry company over mass sackings
