Type
Internal restructuring
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Dover and Kingston upon Hull
Sector
Transportation / Storage
Land, Water And Air Transportation
Water Transport
50.10 - Sea and coastal passenger water transport

1,100 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
11 May 2020
Employment effect (start)
8 July 2020
Foreseen end date

Description

P&O Ferries, the UK-based ferry company has announced that it will cut 1,100 jobs, with 614 seafearer redundancies in Dover, 122 in Hull, and the remaining job cuts affecting officers and ‘shore-side’ staff. The company has agreed to voluntary redundancies, however, it has not revealed how voluntary redundancies compares to compulsory ones.

A spokesperson for P&O Ferries said that the jobs cuts were necessary to adapt to the reduction in passenger transport caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trade unions are challenging the plans and there is also widespread public criticism of P&O’s decision, because the company has received large public funds to subsidise the salaries of staff placed on paid temporary leave under the UK government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

P&O Ferries operates between the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The company is a subsidiary of Dubai-based company DP World, which also owns a number of ports in the UK.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), P&O Ferries, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 101081, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101081.