The scandal in the UK could be a harbinger of chaos and bankruptcy in the cruise market – experts commented on the situation that erupted on Thursday around the ferry operator P&O Ferries, part of the large cruise holding P&O Cruises. The operator specialized in transportation between the UK and the mainland – but “something went wrong”.
“Ferry sailing has been suspended for at least 10 days, more than 800 employees have been suddenly fired, and the order was issued with immediate effect,” British media reported. The company justified the mass layoffs by saying that with the current number of staff and the load of flights, it loses 100 million pounds a year.
“In its current state, P&O Ferries is not a viable business,” the operator’s spokesman added. He promised the fired “extended compensation packages”, in particular for “no notice of dismissal”. The unions are threatening to sue – but not the fact that it will decide.
According to experts, P&O replaces laid-off staff with cheaper workers. At the same time, the ferry ports later plunged into chaos, as passengers, workers and truck drivers had nowhere to go.
Note that P&O Ferries is a ferry company, but it is part of the cruise holding P&O Cruises – which in turn is part of the largest cruise holding in the world – Carnival Corporation & plc. The company owns two cruise brands, P&O Cruises, which focuses on the British market, and Princess Cruises, an international company based in the United States. Experts are considering how the situation with the ferry operator could affect other components of the company.
By the way, P&O Ferries has already seen mass layoffs – for example, in 2004, when it closed routes from Portsmouth due to the expansion of low-cost carriers and the opening of the Eurotunnel, which created an alternative to ferry transport.
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