London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

RMT Union warns P&O Ferries of summer of disruption

RMT Union warns P&O Ferries of summer of disruption

A union has warned P&O Ferries it faces a "summer of disruption" when it resumes passenger services from Scotland to Northern Ireland this week.

The RMT union said it will target ports when the ferry operator starts running its "ships of shame" again.

P&O sparked outrage when it sacked 800 staff last month with a plan to replace them with cheaper agency workers.

Passenger services from Cairnryan to Larne have been suspended since, but are now due to resume on Thursday.

RMT Regional organiser Gordon Martin told BBC Scotland: "The RMT and our comrades in the trade union movement and beyond will be at Cairnryan and other ports on a regular basis, blockading the ports - nothing in, nothing out."

Mr Martin branded the company "capitalist bandits" for the manner in which it sacked staff with no notice via video call.

He added: "We will be after you, we will be coming to Cairnryan, Larne, and elsewhere and we will be targeting your supply chain.

"Anybody dealing with P&O - I'll send a clear message to them - whether it be fuel providers, food providers, whatever it may be.

"We will find out who you are and you will be part of our efforts to get proper legislation in place to protect workers."

Protesters at Cairnryan last month after P&O's decision to sack 800 workers


Following the mass sacking, P&O's ferry the European Causeway - which operates between Cairnryan and Larne - was detained in the Northern Irish port over safety concerns.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said was concerned about "failures on crew familiarisation, vessel documentation and crew training".

On Saturday, it began sailing again with limited services. It is understood that only freight was transported on the vessel.

On Sunday P&O announced on Twitter that the route would resume for "tourist travel" on Thursday 14 April. P&O's Dover-Calais service is also expected to resume on this date.

Stena Line have put on extra ferries from Cairnryan to Belfast to compensate for the postponement of P&O services.

The operator increased its daily sailings on the route from 12 to 18 and said its staff had been working hard to meet demand.

Urgent meetings


The Scottish government condemned the "serious disruption" P&O's actions had caused to the supply chain between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A spokesman said: "The employment practices P&O have needlessly pursued have no place in a modern working practices.

"The Scottish government has been absolutely clear that we will stand by the workers who have been let down in the most appalling manner imaginable by P&O."

He added ministers are seeking urgent meetings with the UK government to discuss the matter.

A spokesman for the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "The Insolvency Service has confirmed it has commenced formal criminal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent appalling behaviour of P&O Ferries, following the Business Secretary asking they undertake a thorough review.

"We will not provide further comment while investigations are ongoing."

P&O has been approached for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×