Another victim of Covid?

[Suff]

P&O cancels services and tells ships to stay in port

It looks like P&O are going to be doing some staff bloodletting. I assume we'll also get back to fuel surcharges for people who have already paid for their tickets.

When I came over on Monday morning from Dieppe the DFDS ferry was less than half full and shortly after I got into my cabin there was an announcement that there were still cabins available if anyone wanted them. When I got up in the morning about 10 cabins were open. I haven't seen this in 20 years. Companies can't weather this kind of loss of business indefinitely and with government support dropping off constantly, things have come to a head.

Sadly there can't be any such thing as "business as usual" when "business" is anything but usual.

[Workingman]

The way it has been done is disgusting - a group video call.

We all understand that times are hard with Covid, Ukraine, fuel costs and so on, but this is a bit swift.

Travel restrictions have been lifted, and spring and summer are upon us. It could be a bumper year.

There looks to be a bit of fire and rehire going on as well as the employment of cheaper foreign crews. That couldn't have happened overnight, organising such things would have taken time. Why did P&O not negotiate?

[Suff]

Yep I posted before the broadcast.

Dubai wealth fund at your service. Apparently they'e been hiring in Columbia. Seems there is a loophole in the law. If you fire then re-hire workers you are in trouble. If you outsource your staffing to a company then fire your workers, you are less likely to come a cropper.

This has a really nasty smell about it. As you know I sell my soul through agencies too. But I'm a fairly highly skilled individual who has a body of knowledge not normally available in the standard workplace. That's how I like it and how the companies like it. They prefer to buy me rather than spend 10's of thousands on training, fall down every rathole, then watch that experience either moulder away for lack of use or the person with that experience jump ship and use it to further their career.

This though? Fairly low skilled workers with minimal qualifications? I worked with a guy from Mexico back in 2016. Really good business analyst. He told me he liked working in the UK because at home he'd be expected to work 12-14 hours a day for 1/4 the pay.

What they are doing here is going to change the law because this kind of abuse can't be tolerated. However it is going to make the UK labour market significantly less flexible which will hamper both growth and recovery.

Then again I wonder how many will vote sympathy for their fellow workers by paying more to travel with another company? Because that will really kill them.

[Suff]

A friend called me up today, he lives in France now. He's determined that he won't use P&O again if he can avoid it. Only one issue. He tends to cross foot passenger from Calais and P&O were the only company doing that. DFDS did not.

I believe DFDS is taking foot passengers right now to cover P&O passengers trying to cross. But I expect it will stop again once P&O get their ships operating again.

I will now pay good money not to cross with them. They now fall into the Ryanair slot in my travelling. I'll pay twice as much not to travel with them but I won't pay 4x to avoid them.

[Workingman]

P&O will not be fretting too much.

10,000s of travellers want to use the shortest crossings during spring, summer and autumn and DFDS and the Chunnel cannot take them all.

Remember; SeaFrance, Sealink and Townsend Thorsen no longer exist, so step forward P&O.

People might virtue signal their outrage today on social media, but come their 'must have' holidays they will be a bit more 'flexible'. Mablethorpe or the Med - tough choice.

[Suff]

Come on WM, that's a bit harsh, I hear that Butlins at skeggie is really good...

I know a lot of people who cross the channel twice a year will be virtue signalling. Personally, for those who cross a lot more, we will vote with our feet.

BTW P&O bought TT over. My parents shares were converted to P&O shares. I travelled on them before and after the roll on roll over event.

[Workingman]

Come the warmer months those who cross year-round, as you do and I used to, will be fighting for the places on DFDS with holidaymakers. The caravanners, campervan and camping users who want freedom to roam and not a package deal will take whatever is on offer. They can often book months in advance as well.

It is not how I would like things to be but human nature and the need for a holiday will be the drivers.

[Workingman]

I knew about P&O and TT, but they ran in tandem for a while. That was five ferry companies plus the hovercraft plus the hydrofoil - I used it a few times. Now the short routes are down to two companies.

Frustrating, I know, but people will still use P&O, not much will change that. Holidaymakers pay more per trip than the single traveller.

The disgusting irony is that with cheaper crews and similar passenger levels the routes could become more profitable than now - don't forget the price rises.

[TheOstrich]

Personally, for those who cross a lot more, we will vote with our feet.

If you're looking for an alternative, I hear there's plenty of inflatables still available on the Northern French coast, Suff.
Might have to pay a bit more than you usually do, though ....

[Suff]

Yeah Ossie, that was at the bottom of my list, under the old fish and chip wrappers. Haven't seen a dinghy that will take my car or bike yet though.

I have more options as I can use Caen, St Malo, Cherbourg, Le Havre and Dieppe. There is also the option of taking the hoek van holland Harwich route, but the cloggies are still demanding PCR tests and a reason to travel. Even if you are transiting holland they want a PCR test.

There are way more routes than just Dover Calais. Perhaps someone will step up and fill the gap with the ability of P&O to compete being reduced. The Tunnel simply screws travellers for everything they can every time there is a capacity squeeze so they are not an option.

I travelled on the CAT's for a while but I heard an interesting story in Jersey. Apparently they go great for the first couple of years but then the amount of tuning work on the engines to keep them running even close to top speed starts to mount rapidly. Probably why they fell out of favour.

At some point I can see talk about a bridge coming up again.