Although P&O Ferries appeared to be making slow progress in getting its ships cleared by the MCA to ply various routes from English and Scottish ports, other problems continue to bedevil the company’s long-running attempt to achieve a changeover of staff.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has said that its inspectors had been blocked from investigating crew welfare issues on board P&O Ferries’ vessels in the Port of Dover.
The ITF said Dover Port Police last week refused access to its inspectors dispatched to look into welfare issues raised by replacement crew members, The Port Police said that they needed advance notice of the visit,which the ITF observed would rather defeat the object of a surprise inspection.
One inspector, Tommy Molloy, said that “as an ITF Inspector in the UK for 17 years, this is the first time I have been refused access to a UK port to investigate crew welfare issues”, adding that “experience shows us that if non-compliant employers are tipped off to our inspections, often crew members get threatened and incriminating documentation goes missing.Our inspections are random by nature and by necessity.”
The ITF said that it completed the online security course required and even emailed ahead of time as a courtesy, even though inspectors were not obliged to provide prior warning to ports or vessel owners of impending visits to inspect vessels or investigate abuse of seafarers’ rights.
The inspectors said that the port officials phoned P&O Ferries while the inspectors were present, awaiting a decision on their access.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said, “P&O Ferries have shown that they have no regard for the law, it’s staggering that the Port of Dover would prevent access to ITF Inspectors who are simply there to check on crew welfare and the safety of the ships.
Then, at the weekend, it was claimed that P&O Ferries had asked its new agency staff to accept new contracts that paid a lower wage.
The RMT Union said it had received reports of new workers at Dover being asked to sign new contracts, replacing ones they had signed weeks ago, and that these new contracts paid less. The RMT said that it had reported P&O Ferries to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and that the MCA had ensured the new workers retained their wages.
P&O Ferries replied on Monday that “no agency seafarers were asked to accept reduced wages”.
Referring to a case cited by the RMT, P&O Ferries blamed an “administrative misunderstanding” around a contract presented to one individual who appeared to have been “unaware of an appendix which made clear that he would be entitled to an additional £195 a
month, meaning that there was no change in his overall pay”.
On Friday April 22nd the Spirit of Britain (IMO 9524231), which operates between Dover and Calais, was cleared to resume sailing after inspections by the MCA. It had been
held at the port since April 12th due to a number of deficiencies.
2011-built,Cyprus-flagged, 47,592 gt Spirit of Britain is owned by P&O Ferries Cyprus
Ltd of Calais, France. and ISM manager by P&O Ferries Holdings Ltd of Dover, UK/ Commercial manager is P&O Ferries France Sasu of Calais, France.
It is entered with Standard Club (International Division) on behalf of SNC Griz-Nez Bail.
