Alle os i Dover og især i byrådet er chokerede og alarmerede over afskedigelserne hos P&O Ferries this past week. The impact on both the company’s employees and our whole community cannot be overstated.
Hovedkvarteret for P&O og dens flåde af krydsende færger er hverdagens seværdigheder i byen og mange lokale arbejdspladser og, derfor, husstande er blevet støttet direkte og indirekte af færgeruter fra vores havn.
The way in which the news was broken to the employees has been unfair and inhuman – every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in such a difficult situation. We empathise with and pledge our support to all those households which now face an uncertain and difficult future.
The dreadful lack of respect for British workers shown by the owners and management of P&O Ferries is compounded by their proposed exploitation of offshore replacement crew, all of whom will receive lower wages and fewer benefits and protections purely because of their ethnicity or place of origin. This is unacceptable exploitation.
Vi forventer, at regeringen gør alt, hvad der står i dens magt, for at give oprejsning til de afskedigede medarbejdere, at straffe P&O for dens mangel på medmenneskelighed og hensyn til ånden i britisk lovgivning og for at forhindre denne form for beskæftigelsesmisbrug i at ske igen.
I mellemtiden, vi lover ikke at bruge P&O Ferries to show our support for the dismissed employees until that company reverts to proper employment practices.