P&O ignores government appeal for a rethink and prepares to sail

P&O Ferries plans to restart services today, two days after dismissing all of its UK crew.

In an internal email sent on Friday, the company’s CEO, Peter Hebblethwaite, informed staff that MS Norbank will sail from Liverpool to Ireland today.

Hebblethwaite tells P&O’s remaining workforce that it is “absolutely natural to feel uncomfortable” about the manner in which their colleagues were fired on Thursday morning, but that the decision was “absolutely necessary” and “significantly reduces” P&O’s crewing costs.

The email states that P&O expects service disruption will be “short-lived” and “our focus now is getting our ships back to service.” It adds that the Norland “will be back in service from [Saturday], sailing on the Liverpool-Dublin route”.

P&O is cutting costs by replacing its sacked crews with cheaper, freelance workers.

Two agencies, Clyde Marine Recruitment and Columbia Ship Management are helping P&O find the people they need.

Columbia sent out an “urgent” appeal for 40 “ratings” - crew below officer rank - for a UK vessel, just before P&O sacked its UK crews on Thursday morning.

The two week contracts are worth $4,000 (£3,034). The advert was written in English and Cyrillic script.

This is the first test of the government’s plan to force P&O to pause and rethink.

Yesterday, the Transport Minister, Grant Shapps expressed concern that P&O’s “rushed” recruitment drive might increase the likelihood of accidents.

He told the company he has instructed the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the regulator, to inspect all of P&O’s vessels before they set sail again.

Changing the entire crew on a ship carries risk. P&O wants to get moving again but it needs permission first.

P&O, Columbia and Clyde have not responded to our attempts to contact them.