P&O to shed jobs
- 13 October 2008 18:367430P&O are to shed 62 jobs it was revealed tonight on the local news.More evidence of the credit crunch?Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter) - 13 October 2008 19:507433staff are already under enough pressure as it is, are these jobs shore based or on the ferries?
- Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
13 October 2008 21:567441nothing new there then,p and o are allways cutting back.it wouldnt surpise if they wernt downsizing for a quick sale at a profit.
- 13 October 2008 22:047443On the ferries so I was led to believe HowardMarek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter) - Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,695
13 October 2008 22:087445Apparently P&O stated that it was due to reduced freight traffic?"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi - 13 October 2008 22:117446not quite so bad, sales on the ferries are down due to he strong euro
the staff at the port are inundated with work, tunnel business etc etc.
getting back to the credit crunch comment, my understanding is that more freight vehicles are going back empty to calais than ever before.
carrying this to its logical conclusion, so many east european trucks have taken over, will they run empty all the way back to bucharest or wherever - 14 October 2008 01:067451How is it that DHB's figures for frieght vehicles show a constant increase over ten years and yet P&O shed jobs because of a decrease in the same?Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour - 14 October 2008 07:157457Just found this snippet of news
Ferry operator P&O has revealed plans to axe 62 jobs on its Dover to Calais service, blaming increased competition and difficult market circumstances.
The cuts will affect operational staff and on-board managers, but union officials said they hoped compulsory redundancies would be avoided.
Malcolm Dunning, of the RMT union, said work routines would be investigated "post any job losses that occur".
About 2,000 people are employed by P&O at the Kent port.
P&O said consultation with staff was due to begin shortly.Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter) - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
14 October 2008 08:197463if crew levels are cut back wont this compermise passenger safty?.
- 14 October 2008 19:037494there are plenty of life boats brian.
nothing to worry about there. - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
14 October 2008 19:117496yes howard pleanty of boats no staff to make them work.the need for crew is vital for safty for the likes of you and me.manning levals are bad enough as it is now without getting rid of more. - 14 October 2008 19:427501I am sure Ed will come on and say that there are strict safely standards on the cross channel routes and that public safely won't be compromised...Been nice knowing you :)
- Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
14 October 2008 19:457502probaly yet me and thee know differnt. - 14 October 2008 21:307508i do not wish to worry anyone but we have had seals and a dolphin in the channel recently.
must be time for a great white shark to make an appearance.
on the plus side, would do a lot for tourism. - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
14 October 2008 22:107515saw 3 killer whales of shakespere beech today along with 2 russan subs along with the swiss north alantic fleet.
- 14 October 2008 23:377518been here with p and o before, ruthless company, anti trade union unless it suits them.
yuk - 5 November 2008 00:558653QUOTE: "I am sure Ed will come on and say that there are strict safety standards on the cross channel routes and that public safety won't be compromised..."
I hold no brief whatsoever for P&O, not my favourite company by any means, but the above statement is correct. Every aspect of cross channel operations is minutely scrutinised by the MCA and there is no question of P&O being permitted to reduce manning levels below those required to evacuate passengers in an emergency - nor would any of their seagoing officers or marine managers countenance a criminal proposal of this nature.
The reference to lifeboats is a trifle misleading. There has been a move away from these in recent years, with the great majority of passengers and crew designated to leave the ship via the MES (Marine Evacuation System) chutes and liferafts. Indeed, the two principal P&O Dover-Calais ferries, "Pride of Kent" and "Pride of Canterbury," were the first ferries to be certificated to rely entirely on MES equipment and consequently do not have lifeboats. The same will apply to the two new superferries they have ordered.
This has not been without its drawbacks as the "Pride of Canterbury" suffered failures of two of her Marin Ark MES systems during a deployment conducted for the MCA in Dover earlier this year, the day after she suffered major damage when she struck a wreck off the Goodwins. This was found to be due to external corrosion due to weather and addressed by the company and the manufacturers. See link below for the MAIB investigation report:
http://tinyurl.com/6bkh2b
P&O had another unfortunate occurrence several years ago when the "Pride of Aquitaine," soon to return as LD Lines "Norman Spirit", deployed an MES system during an exercise in Dover. Shoreside volunteers acted as passengers and one lady became trapped in the vertical chute and suffocated.
Lifeboats have their own drawbacks. Once away from the ship, a lifeboat is a much superior survival craft to a liferaft. However, launching and recovering these large and heavy boats leaves no room for error or malfunction and crewmembers have been injured and killed on many occasions during drills in recent years, particularly since the introduction of release gear which enables the final stages of the launching operation to be controlled from inside the boat.