The ferry company P&O stopped all trips and fired 800 employees.

London, 17 March The British ferry company P&O, which mainly connects the United Kingdom with Europe and the Irish continent, announced that it is suspending all voyages on the ship “for several days” and immediately dismisses 800 employees due to the financial situation. The British company said on Twitter that “our service will not be able to operate in the next few days,” asking customers for a ticket to go to the port, while looking for an alternative means of transport. Immediately after P&O announced the cancellation of the trip and asked the ferry to leave passengers ashore as soon as possible, they issued a statement acknowledging that “it is not a viable business in the current state.” “We lost 100 million pounds (108 million euros) per year, which was compensated by our parent company DP World (based in Dubai). This is not sustainable. Our survival depends on making quick and meaningful changes now.Without these changes, there will be no future for P&O.” The company said. For this reason, he said that a procedure that begins with the immediate dismissal of 800 workers will be held, and they will be compensated for the lack of prior notice. With this decision, P&O employs another 2,200 people and ensures the viability of a business that is primarily based on transporting passengers and goods from the port of Dover in the UK to the port of Calais, France. The company was hit hard by the travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, but the measures announced today came as a surprise and unexpected for the union that criticized the situation. Grant Shapps, the Minister of Transport of the United Kingdom, was “very concerned” about the news about P&O and was convinced via Twitter that he would speak with managers to understand the impact of the announcement on employees and customers. Despite everything, he recalled that other operators continue to secure sea crossings through the English Channel for both passengers and goods. The union asked its members to refuse to leave the ship, but the company deployed civilian security personnel to ensure that the boat was empty. On some of these ferries, the crew held a protest seat and warned the police that they would not move. P&O has already warned that in May 2020 after the pandemic began, about 1,100 workers could lose their jobs as part of a plan to make the business “viable.” The company recalls today that Emirati's DP World maintains 7,500 jobs in the UK, including 2,200 remaining in P&O, with a total investment exceeding £3 billion (3.55 billion euros). ER/GX/Pi