Cross Channel ferries should follow either French or UK law says French union Pic: Collette Worley /Shutterstock
French and European ferry crew unions are calling for a minimum pay and conditions deal for Channel workers in the wake of P&O’s sacking of 800 staff and their replacement with low paid crew. Some are allegedly being paid under 2 an hour.
P&O is able to do this by employing new workers from areas such as India on agency contracts out of Cyprus – where some of its ferries are registered – avoiding paying the 9.50 UK minimum wage.
Read more: P&O sacks 800 UK crew saying action was needed to remain ‘viable’
Dozens of Connexion readers have written in to say they will never use the firm again.
Dubai-owned P&O Ferries says it had to make the “incredibly tough choice” to avoid bankruptcy and estimated losing around 100million in 2021.
The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) is urging action at European level while France’s Feets-FO union is calling for a France-UK deal on a ‘level-playing field’.
ETF General Secretary Livia Spera told The Connexion: “If they are losing money, there is enough money in the mother company – lowering wages is not the way forward. We can’t let this go.”
Feets-FO head of international issues Laurent Le Floch said: “Our fear is that,...
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