The leading UK ferry operator P&O Ferries has sacked its crew across its entire fleet after stopping all its sailings.

Unions called it a “scandalous betrayal”, and said about 800 jobs at all grades had been axed with no notice, with P&O planning to use cheap agency staff to operate its ships.

The operator, owned by the Dubai-based DP World, earlier told crew to return to port and await a “major announcement” in a sudden move likely to cause serious disruption to travel for passengers and freight.

Unions predicted a potential standoff could develop, having instructed crew not to leave vessels, while coaches of replacement crew and security staff are already in place at Dover and Hull.

Just by way of a reminder, P&O Ferries took £4,394,000 in government subsidies during the height of the pandemic to keep those routes afloat.

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Welsh Marine Engineers & Workboat Builders Mainstay Marine Solutions have won the contract for the build of a 12m replacement ferry for Argyll and Bute Council in Scotland.

The vessel will replace the current ferry which has served the Lismore Island population for over 32 years.

Designed by Keel Marine Limited, the all-steel vessel has a complement for two crew members & twenty-three passengers.

With a cruising speed of 8 kts, the ferry will provide the c170 inhabitants who reside on the Island, with a passenger-only ‘lifeline’ ferry service to and from Port Appin to Lismore Island.

Funded by Transport Scotland, the new ferry will cost around £500,000.

On completion of sea trials at Mainstay’s base Pembroke Port on the Milford Haven Waterway, the ferry will steam the 302 nautical miles north to delivery point on Loch Linnhe.

Mainstay has recently delivered three out of five 15m river barges for the Environment Agency and is completing the ‘main frame’ and ‘Power Take Off Unit’ for Bombora’s Wave Energy device as well as starting the fabrication of the cross beam for QED Naval SubHub Tidal energy platform.

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