P&O and Irish ferries in trouble

[Tony Taylor]

Best of the lot was Blue Seas fast ferry Zeebrugge to Rosyth as Zeebrugge is only 40 minutes from us, but they didn't last long . Next best was DFDS but as you say very expensive. Planning a trip back " home " in
October so will book with P & O ( if they are still on the go ) , otherwise it will be Stena Hook v Holland to Harwich

travelling to Harwich from here is a tedious b-llache, so as N. Shields is 25 minutes away its still a better option especially with the prospect of 5 hour run to Germany from Ijmuiden, I always tried to travel at weekends as roads in Holland and Germany were always quieter.

[happy daze john in oz]

Is P&O still a UK owned company?
If so how can France dictate rates of pay?
Working 17 weeks without a break, on cruise ships it is a 9 month contract working every day.

[Johnny Kieran]

I think it's owned by some Arab country, like much of things in the UK.
I would think a nice thick brown envelope would give any dodgy company the right to work in most countries. Plus of course, the likes of P&O help keep UK wages down, which is good for the fatcats that run the country.

[j.sabourn]

Thought P & O was owned by the Americans now ? JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Bit of confusion there with P&O.
P&O cruise lines are owned by Carnival a USA company.
But P&O is split into P&O Oz and P&O UK.

[Johnny Kieran]

P&O Ferries were flogged off, so are no longer part of P&O Carnival. That makes no difference though, because they all use the same labour source.

[vic mcclymont]

P&o cruises are owned by Carnival. P&o Ferries are owned by DPWorld, which also owns P&o Heritage (history), P&o Logistics.
Vic

[Michael Chamberlain]

Originally 3rd flag ferries were not allowed to operate between UK,France and Ireland.
All crew members had to be employed from countries the ferries operated from.
The change started in the 70’s with third flag carrier then on to using foreign crews.
This should never have been allowed to happen.
I remember a ferry called Peter Pan which failed to get a service operating as a third flag carrier BUT P&O using the Pride of Bilbao managed to get UK Officers and Crew with lower working condition, salary and leave ratio sailing under foreign flag. BUT I also blame the crew who joined this ship breaking current agreements.
Then the rot set in and we have the situation as it is today.
I think the biggest joke was the “Celtic Pride” which operated under a foreign flag with all foriegn crew.

[RogerEmmins]

I had heard that P&O were always "a not very good company to work for"
Unfortunately I ended up working for them as my company was taken over by them. I then found out why the rumours were true. There came a time when redundancies were offered and I nearly lost my arm with the speed it shot up in response. Shortly afterwards came the P&O Ferries debacle in Dover and other places. Redundancy was one of the better decisions I ever made.

[happy daze john in oz]

#17 you say they are now part of DP world.
Is that the same company operating container lifts in docks.
If so we have them here and they are owned by the Emirate of Dubai according to my Neighbour who
works in the Melbourne docks.
Just been through a two month dispute about wages and conditions with them.

Only did one cruise with P&O Oz, worst one ever, could not believe it could be that bad.