Protests at UK ports as calls grow for P&O Ferries boss to quit
Protests are taking place at UK ports over the sacking of hundreds of seafarers, as calls grow for a P&O Ferries’ boss to quit.
The demonstrations come after a ship operated by the ferry firm was detained for being “unfit to sail”.
The European Causeway has been held at the port of Larne in Northern Ireland. The vessel is one of two that run from Larne and Cairnryan, Scotland. However, sailings remain suspended after the company’s decision to sack 800 seafarers and replace them with cheaper agency workers.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the ship had been detained due to “failures on crew familiarisation, vessel documentation and crew training”, while the transport secretary Grant Shapps said he would not compromise the safety of P&O vessels.
The MCA said: “We can confirm that the European Causeway has been detained in Larne. It has been detained due to failures on crew familiarisation, vessel documentation and crew training.
“The vessel will remain under detention until all these issues are resolved by P&O Ferries. Only then will it be reinspected.”
The MCA confirmed there were no passengers or freight on board the European Causeway when it was detained. The vessel first entered service in 2000 replacing the Pride of Rathlin, according to the P&O Ferries website.
Meanwhile, Shapps tweeted: “Following my instruction to inspect all P&O vessels prior to entering back into service, the MCA-Media has detained a ship for being unfit to sail.
“I will not compromise the safety of these vessels and P&O will not be able to rush inexperienced crew through training.”
P&O Ferries informed customers on social media that services between Larne and Cairnryan were suspended.
The company said: “It is no longer possible for us to
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