Cars and lorries sound horns in support of protesters as hundreds turn out to support wronged workforce
A crowd of around 600 people gathered today, despite short notice, at the entrance to the Port of Liverpool to protest the summary sacking by P&O Ferries of eight hundred seafarers so that the company can replace them with cheap foreign labour. In a sign of how the company’s ‘banditry’ has shocked the nation, the ‘mainstream’ media were also out in force to witness the protest
By the official start time of 1pm, the crowd of demonstrators extended for some distance along the entranceway, while passing lorry and car drivers sounded their horns in a loud gesture of solidarity:
The RMT union has called on supporters to flood Blackpool tomorrow, where the Tories’ spring conference is taking place, to pressure the government to do the right thing for workers.
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“The RMT union has called on supporters to flood Blackpool tomorrow, where the Tories’ spring conference is taking place, to pressure the government to do the right thing for workers.”
Are the RMT – or any Unions, or the TUC – running coaches to Blackpool, tomorrow?
Now, they’ve been stirred into action, by this P&O action, it’s about time they started organising themselves and spent a little of their money, in support of the sacked P&O seamen and women.
Solidarity, with the sacked workers!
Good to see protests in Liverpool its a sign of a healthy democracy despite a Tory government and no Opposition party….
In April 2016, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union told its members to vote for Brexit “to protect workers’ rights”. Then-general secretary Mick Cash called the bloc “a bosses’ club that… attacks the shipping and offshore sectors”.
Yesterday, his successor Mick Lynch called the P&O sackings “one of the most shameful acts in the history of British industrial relations”. What he didn’t say was that Brexit was another.
After leaving the EU, the UK is no longer strictly bound by its rules protecting employment rights. And it’s a fact that P&O staff in France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland, have not been made redundant.
It’s also a fact that the Brexit deal we agreed promises that one party shall not lower its employment rights, in such a way that it means the other party suffers. And, as far as P&O is concerned, this clause holds up fine, because the only party which suffers if Britain burns its jobs laws is Britain.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-cross-brexit-ferries-26498868
SteveH, as a remainer I agree that Brexit has a lot to answer for this appalling situation. However, the pursue of the “constructive ambiguity” and a “People’s Vote” to undue the result of the Referendum are by far more to blame in my view.
Have we stay on course with the 2017 Manifesto’s promise to enact Brexit but remain in the Custom Union. P&O wouldn’t have be able to sack 800 maritime workers.
Yes, I agree, Maria.
Not to forget, it wasn’t the RMT who sacked 800 employees, via zoom, It was P&O, their employers.
Citing something Farage said, at some time or other, smacks of desperation.
George – “Citing something Farage said, at some time or other, smacks of desperation.”
I would agree with you if that was the case, but it isn’t. If you read the article that I have linked to you will see that the above quote does not come from Farage, it is simply a report of what happened.