Second P&O ferry grounded following sackings row
Another P&O ship is being detained as the ferry firm rides of the waves of the ongoing sackings scandal, which saw the firm replace 800 seafarers with lower-paid crew.
As reported by Sky News this evening, The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said earlier in the day that the Pride of Kent was undergoing checks to ensure it was safe to put to sea without passengers or cargo – ahead of a full inspection at a later date.
In an announcement this evening, the MCA said: “Our surveyors are in the process of detaining the Pride of Kent.”
“We are awaiting confirmation of all the detainable items.”
Last week, the body detained the first P&O vessel in Northern Ireland, declaring the ship “unfit to sail.”
The European Causeway vessel was banned from restarting operations under the basis of “failures on crew familiarisation, vessel documentation and crew training” as instructed by transport secretary Grant Shapps.
“I will not compromise the safety of these vessels and P&O will not be able to rush inexperienced crew through training,” Shapps tweeted about the detainment.
Thousands took to the streets over the weekend calling on P&O Ferries’ chief Peter Hebblethwaite to resign after the operator sacked hundreds of staff earlier this month.
Protesters across UK ports such as Liverpool, Dover and Hull rallied under the call of “Stop the P&O jobs Massacre.”
A source at P&O told the PA news agency the study calculated it would cost £309m to keep the business going through a consultation period of at least three months and there was no guarantee of recovery.
Months of consultation would have undermined the firm, caused a disruption and dealt a “fatal blow” to the firm, the source said.
Bosses at P&O argue that the unceremonious sacking of 800 employees has safeguarded the long-term future of the firm and the livelihoods of other employees.