P&O Ferries has paused its services “in preparation for a company announcement” later on Thursday.
The ferry operator said it was not going into liquidation but all ferries had been instructed to stay in port.
Union RMT urged the firm to protect jobs amid speculation that hundreds of crewmembers could “be sacked and replaced with foreign labour”.
As a result some sailings scheduled for today have been cancelled, with passengers told to use other companies.
P&O services scheduled today include 14 between Dover and Calais, three between Liverpool and Dublin and seven between Larne in County Antrim and Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway.
The union said it has instructed members to stay on board their vessels once they have docked or risk being “locked out” of their jobs.
“We are digging in for the long-haul. We are determined to fight,” RMT spokesperson Geoff Martin said.
Regretfully, P&O Ferries services are unable to run for the next few hours. Our Port Teams will guide you and travel will be arranged via an alternative operator.
We apologise for the inconvenience this will have on your journey plans.
— P&O Ferries Updates (@POferriesupdate) March 17, 2022
A P&O Ferries spokesperson said: “P&O Ferries is not going into liquidation. We have asked all ships to come alongside, in preparation for a company announcement. Until then, services from P&O will not be running and we are advising travellers of alternative arrangements.”
The cross-Channel operator has said on Twitter that sailings between Dover and Calais scheduled for 11:10am, 11:15am and 12:35pm will no longer run, and customers with tickets were instructed to check-in to rival ferry company DFDS’ services.
In a message sent to staff, the company said the company announcement “will secure the long-term viability of P&O Ferries” and has the backing of Dubai-based DP World, which bought the ferry company for £322m in 2019.
P&O is one of the UK’s leading ferry companies, carrying more than 10 million passengers and 1.6 million cars every year before the pandemic. It also transports about 15% of all freight cargo in and out of the UK.
However, like many transport operators it saw demand slump during the pandemic, forcing it to announce 1,110 job cuts after failing to secure a £150m bailout from the government.
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- 18 February 2021
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- 1 October 2020
