New UK Laws to Stop Unfair Job Cuts on Ferries: Explained in Simple Terms

New Rules to Protect Workers on Ferries After P&O Scandal

The UK government is introducing new UK laws to ensure that what happened with P&O Ferries, when they suddenly fired 800 workers, never happens again. These laws are meant to improve working conditions for people who work on ferries and ships, especially those traveling between the UK and France.

What Happened with P&O Ferries?

In 2022, P&O Ferries fired 800 of their workers without any notice. This caused a massive scandal; many people were upset because it seemed unfair. P&O used a loophole in the law to replace their staff with cheaper workers from other countries.

Closing the Loophole

The government is now creating new rules to prevent this from happening again. The transport secretary, Louise Haigh, says the new laws will close the legal gaps P&O used. If a company tries to do something similar again, it could face huge fines.

Better Pay for Ferry Workers

Starting December 1, ferry companies must pay their workers at least £11.44 per hour, the national minimum wage. This will ensure that workers on ferries between the UK and France are paid fairly.

Helping Good Employers

The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, said these changes are intended to punish bad companies like P&O and help good employers who treat their workers well. This will allow businesses to compete by offering better service instead of paying their workers less.

Stopping “Fire and Rehire”

The new rules will also make it much harder for companies to fire their workers and hire new, cheaper staff, as P&O did. While there may be rare situations where a company has no other choice, it will now be much more challenging to do this.

Not All Ships Affected Yet

The new rules will first apply to ships that visit UK ports at least 120 times a year. It doesn’t matter if the ships are from other countries or if the crew members are not from the UK. These companies will still need to follow the rules and pay fair wages.

Penalties for Not Following the Rules

If a ferry company can’t prove they are paying their workers the minimum wage, they will have to pay extra fees when they enter UK ports. In some cases, they might even be banned from entering UK ports altogether.

Challenges with International Laws

Louise Haigh mentioned that changing international shipping laws is difficult, but they are working on it. They are looking at what France is doing, where similar rules have been in place since June, although some companies have challenged these laws in court.

What About Cargo and Cruise Ships?

These new laws won’t affect most cargo and cruise ships because they spend much time in international waters. However, the government is monitoring working conditions for all types of ships.

Support from Ferry Companies

Ferry company DFDS, which treats its workers well and pays them above the minimum wage, has welcomed these changes. They believe it will help create fair competition between companies operating in the same areas.

Union Support

Unions representing sea workers, like Nautilus and RMT, are happy about the new rules. They are also pushing for other changes, like limiting workers’ hours at sea and ensuring they get regular time off.

Labour Party’s Commitment

Labour has promised to protect seafarers’ jobs and improve working conditions. Union leaders say these changes are long overdue and are glad to see the government taking action.

Response from P&O Ferries

P&O Ferries has said it now follows all national and international laws and has changed its policies to meet new legal requirements. It has also adjusted its crew schedules to comply with French laws, which means it can no longer hire as many workers from outside Europe.

P&O Cruises Says No Changes Needed

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises, a company separate from P&O Ferries, said the company has always treated its workers well and will not be firing or rehiring any crew members.

New UK Laws to Stop Unfair Job Cuts on Ferries: Explained in Simple Terms