Lawyers counter P&O’s claims that it cannot be prosecuted March 24, 2022 Legal experts are disputing P&O’s claims that it is not subject to English law after company boss Peter Hebblethwaite said British courts have no power to prosecute the firm. The ferry operator claimed it had not broken UK laws, because its vessels are registered in Cyprus and Bermuda. The claims come after Prime Minister Boris [...]
P&O Ferries boss apologises ahead of hearing tomorrow amid PM claims company broke law March 23, 2022 P&O’s chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite apologised today to his staff ahead of tomorrow’s joint parliamentary hearing as Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed the ferry operator has broken the law. Hebblethwaite said sacking almost 800 seafarers was an “incredibly difficult decision” but necessary to save the company. “I want to say sorry to the people affected [...]
P&O Ferries to pay £36.5m compensation to workers affected by layoffs March 22, 2022 P&O is set to pay a total of £36.5m to workers who were fired last week in a four-minute video call. The company said that 575 of the 786 seafarers affected by the job cuts are expected to progress with the severance offer, which in some cases amounts to £170,000 per person, Sky News first [...]
Government to carry out safety checks on P&O following salary accusations March 21, 2022 Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the government will carry out safety checks on P&O vessels, after unions accused the operator of paying the replacement crew £1.80 per hour. The Maritime and Coastguard agency was instructed to inspect the ferries before allowing them to re-enter service to make sure the crews are “safe and properly trained.” [...]
Ferry firm ‘tore up PR handbook and flushed every page down the toilet’ March 21, 2022 Communications experts have said P&O’s decision to fire staff was”devoid of decency” and an example of”tearing up the PR handbook and flushing every page down the toilet”. Public relations agency chiefs told City A.M. over the weekend that the way in which P&0 let staff go could give government authorities more of a free hand [...]
P&O lays off 800 people following £100m loss March 17, 2022 Ferry operator P&O Ferries confirmed today it is laying off 800 members of staff after the pandemic caused the company to post a £100m loss year-on-year. “Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now,” said a company spokesperson. “Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries. Staff will receive compensation [...]
Packed cargo ship sinking quickly, rescue efforts launched for dozens of crew members March 17, 2022 An Emirati-flagged cargo ship is currently sinking in the Persian Gulf, with efforts under way to rescue 30 crew. Captain Nizar Qaddoura, the operations manager of the Salem Al Makrani Cargo company, said that the Al Salmy 6 encountered rough and stormy weather, then capsized. Rescuers had saved 16 crew members, the captain said. Another [...]
Ever Given’s sister vessel runs aground in US a year after Suez Canal incident March 16, 2022 Container ship Ever Forward has run aground in the US, almost a year after its sister vessel Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal for a week. The US Coast Guard said today it was initially notified about the incident on Sunday and it has reported the container ship is stuck outside the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. [...]
Logistics company GXO deploys fleet of autonomous robots in the UK March 16, 2022 GXO, one of the largest logistics companies in the world, announced today it has deployed a fleet of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for its UK operations. “Over the past 18 months, we have accelerated our deployment of modular technologies,” said GXO’s vice president Phil Shaw. “Because this AMRs are small and mobile, they have significant [...]
UK to inject £4bn into shipbuilding for next 30 years March 10, 2022 The UK Government has said it will inject £4bn into the shipbuilding industry to deliver more than 150 vessels over the next 30 years. The funding, which was announced today by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will unlock tens of thousands of jobs, galvanising shipyards and suppliers across the country. “Shipbuilding has been in our blood [...]