29 May 2020
RMT Press Office:
RMT demands Government action to stop P&O using Covid-19 crisis to axe UK seafarer jobs and exploit overseas workers
P&O FERRIES Union RMT today raised alarm over P&O’s plans to replace directly employed, full time UK seafarers on the Pride of Hull with agency crew from the Philippines on rates of pay below the National Minimum Wage and for contracts that require 12 hour days, 7 days a week for up to 6 months.
RMT general secretary, Mick Cash said:
“Rather than working with the unions to adjust the furlough scheme, P&O is replacing 60 UK Ratings on the Pride of Hull with 57 agency crew from the Philippines who are paid £4.50 per hour. This is a blatant abuse of the current crisis.
“P&O Ferries must bring back furloughed UK seafarers to cover all vacancies on the Hull-Rotterdam and their other UK routes that qualify for the Critical Freight Grant. Exploiting Filipino crew at the cost of seafarers and the economy in Hull or anywhere else is totally unacceptable.
“Government action is urgently needed to force P&O Ferries to drop their outrageous redundancy plans and work with the trade unions and ministers on a rescue package to save seafarer jobs and skills in Hull and Dover.”
Ends.
Notes to editors
A campaign letter to MP’s urging them to save P&O jobs and UK Ferries can be found here https://bit.ly/3dbW7Ct
An RMT petition can be found here https://bit.ly/3dbiQyH
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