P & O Ferries: demonstrations planned over seafarers' sacking
A series of demonstrations were expected to take place today (Friday) as the fall-out over the sacking of 800 P & O Ferries seafarers continues.
Unions and politicians condemned the mass dismissal, blamed by the company on losses of £100m following the slump in travel because of the pandemic.
The firm said early on Friday it would not be able to operate services "for the next few days" from Dover to Calais, Hull to Rotterdam, Liverpool to Dublin, and Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland.
It advised those already at Dover and Calais to make their way to the check-in booths for Danish firm DFDS, but there were no such instructions for those at Hull, Rotterdam, Liverpool, Dublin, Cairnryan or Larne.
East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson expressed his concern to Downtown Radio & Cool FM yesterday and he said it was unpredicted.
He said: "Morally it's not right.
"My worry is that for the next week the Northern Ireland economy is going to be damaged by the fact that the main port and the main route to Northern Ireland from GB and from NI to GB is going to be closed down."
Announcing the decision on Thursday, the ferry operator, bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, insisted the decision to cut jobs was "very difficult but necessary" as it was "not a viable business" in its current state.