P&O Ferries has resumed its Liverpool to Dublin freight service despite widespread anger over the sacking of 800 UK workers. Tony McDonough reports

P&O Ferries resumed its Liverpool to Dublin freight service on Saturday amid continuing anger over the sacking of 800 UK workers.

The company, which also operates other routes including Dover to Calais, made 800 workers redundant with immediate effect last Thursday. The company insisted the move was necessary to save the business which it claims is haemorrhaging cash.

It has reported annual losses of £100m and said it had to be bailed out by its owner Dubai-based DP World, which bought the business for £322m in 2019.

There are a number of vessels that operate the freight route between Gladstone Dock in Liverpool and the Port of Dublin. They include Norbank, Norbay and Stena Forecaster and the return sailings can be up to three times a day.

On Friday, P&O said it was suspending services for the next few days as people gathered at UK ports, including Liverpool, to protest the sackings. On Saturday Norbay did make a return trip to Dublin. However, on Sunday it was still in Gladstone Dock in the afternoon despite being scheduled to cross the Irish Sea at 9.30am.

On Monday there are two return sailings scheduled from Liverpool – at 9.30am and 9pm. On Thursday there are three services scheduled – at 3.30am, 9.30am and 9pm. It is not clear whether those sailings will take place.

Seafarers unions, RMT and Nautilus have reacted with outrage and have pledged to fight the move. They described it as a “dark day” in the shipping industry. MPs across all parties have described the company’s actions as “callous” and “disgraceful”.

On Sunday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said in a television interview that the sackings were “awful” and “wrong”. However, the Sunday Times reported that the Department for Transport knew about the redundancies the evening before they became public.

A memo sent to ministers by a senior Whitehall official – and seen by the Sunday Times – outlined P&O Ferries’ strategy before the sackings took place, the newspaper said.

A DfT spokesperson said: “This was sent before ministers were advised of the full details and as soon as they were informed, they made clear their outrage at the way in which P&O staff had been dismissed.”

On Friday, P&O’s tactics were condemned by Chris Shirling-Rooke, chief executive of Mersey Maritime and a leading figure in Liverpool city region’s £4bn maritime sector. He told LBN: “People are at the heart of the maritime sector and they are at the heart of the Maritime 2050 strategy.

“We’ve all signed up to it and made that commitment. So to see P&O treat its own people, many of them dedicated and experienced seafarers, in this way is hugely disappointing. People are losing their jobs, their livelihoods.

“Seafarers were among the heroes of the pandemic. They put themselves at risk to ensure our country stayed supplied. 95% of our imported goods arrive by sea. They play a critical role and this is a slap in the face.”