- By Faarea Masud
- Business reporter
Image supply, Getty Images
A number one cruise ship firm is being accused of a plan to fire greater than 900 workers members if they don’t settle for new phrases and circumstances for his or her job.
Carnival UK, proprietor of P&O Cruises and Cunard, notified authorities of the “fire and rehire” plan sooner or later after starting talks with union members.
The Nautilus union mentioned it confirmed the cruise agency had “no real intention to engage” in significant negotiations.
Carnival UK mentioned it was “not making any redundancies”.
It comes after a separate firm, P&O Ferries, final yr grew to become embroiled in a dispute over the sacking of 800 of its employees by its proprietor DP World. The agency sacked workers with out discover, changing them with international company employees who have been paid lower than the UK minimal wage.
Nautilus, which represents a whole lot of these probably affected, mentioned Carnival UK has notified authorities within the UK and Bermuda of its intention to change employment phrases and circumstances for 919 crew throughout 10 vessels.
The union mentioned the adjustments would have an effect on crew on P&O Cruises in addition to these engaged on ships such on the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary 2.
In a press release, Nautilus referred to Form HR1, a doc outlining an organization’s redundancy plans that’s submitted to the UK authorities.
“Negotiations with the union opened on November 14 but the union was only notified of the HR1 on the evening of November 22,” it mentioned, including that Carnival has written: “Dismissal and re-engagement may be considered if agreement cannot be reached on new terms.”
Nautilus mentioned the transfer urged “that the employer never had any intention of ‘meaningful negotiation'”.
Carnival UK mentioned: “We are categorically not making any redundancies and we will not dismiss and re-engage staff. In fact we have significantly increased our headcount across our fleet.”
It added: “This is an annual pay review process with our maritime officers onboard our ships which will ensure alignment. This will empower our staff, deliver the right teams across our fleet and attract and retain talent to work on our ships.”
The union mentioned the cruise firm successfully “wants to enforce a cut in 20% of their working days”, which quantities to a drop from 243 days labored per yr, to 200 days, main to a drop in revenue.
It mentioned adjustments have been being enforced and have been “not negotiable”, leaving members upset, particularly because it appeared that the corporate have been “taking away flexibility” in phrases of when the work could possibly be achieved.
Nautilus has written to the corporate calling for it to withdraw the menace of “fire and rehire”, and interact in significant negotiations.
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh mentioned historical past was “repeating itself”.
“The lives of hundreds more seafarers are once again being upended by bad bosses who know they can get away with it”, she mentioned. including ministers have ignored “warning after warning” that this might occur once more with out adjustments in employment legislation.
Nautilus’s senior nationwide organiser Garry Elliot known as on the federal government to be taught classes from final yr’s P&O Ferries scandal “and outlaw the coercive practice of fire and rehire”. He added: “Employers cannot be allowed to treat their employees with contempt and force through fundamental changes to terms and conditions by playing with their employees’ livelihoods.”
