Seven weeks after firing 800 workers and replacing them with cheaper foreign labor, P&O Ferries continues to face issues.
The company’s latest problem comes as its Pride of Kent ship has been detained after failing a Maritime and Coast Guard Agency (MCA) inspection for a third time. As a result, the company is facing several disruptions to its service.
The Pride of Kent was first detained by the MCA on March 28. P&O requested that the MCA conduct another investigation, which they did on April 13 and again reported that there were deficiencies. A third investigation requested by P&O took place on May 3, and once again the ship failed.
As a result of the Pride of Kent’s detention, P&O Ferries will only be operating one vessel during the next week on its crossing of the English Channel to France. Normally, four vessels would be in service on this route.
The Pride of Canterbury and the Spirit of France have yet to be inspected by the MCA before they can be put back in service.
Since the mass firing in March, P&O Ferries resumed service on all its routes between the UK, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and France. On May 3, P&O Ferries started accepting passengers again on its service between Dover and Calais, its busiest route.
While P&O is returning to service, calls for a boycott against the company continue.
