P&O plan to salvage reputation is sunk
THERE have been instances in the past where I’ve advised clients intent on a rash strategy with a caution of: “If you must do this damned stupid thing then at least don’t do it this damned stupid way”.
I’d like to think that whoever holds the public relations remit for P&O Ferries gave it a shot with some similar advice, although it’s probably all academic now.
Having sacked 800 staff via a recorded video message, and then forcibly escorted some of them ashore, the firm is now hiring cheaper foreign agency staff as replacements. According to one newspaper, the new crews are getting £1.82 an hour, with some workers living in tents to save cash.
The fallacy that we’ve long been fed is that the larger the organisation, the more resilient the governance involved. Sadly, the opposite is often true. Just type “banking scandals” into Google and watch a sorry list of corporate misdeeds unfold.
While you’re at it, check out “Deepwater and BP” or ”Volkswagen and emissions” or “Sir Phillip Green and BHS pensions”.
Last week, UK government ministers were loudly questioning the legality of the ferry company’s actions, although this was later qualified with talk about “a complex
web of international maritime law”.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that the same ministers had been given advance warning of the redundancies ahead of staff via a Whitehall memo. The contents were leaked but no-one in Downing Street is willing to comment.
Just for background, P&O Ferries is owned by DP World, a multinational logistics company based in Dubai. It was founded in 2005 and now handles around 10 per cent of global shipping container traffic with a quoted turnover of $8.5bn in 2020. The ferry operation has been reportedly losing £100m “year on year”.
At the time of writing this, the company is attempting an exercise in damage limitation through means of a reported take-it-orleave-it compensation package.
Trade unions are unimpressed, while their French counterparts, Force Ouvrière (Workers’ Force), are urging their own government to intervene.
I’m told that if things escalate then a likely outcome would be a boycott of P&O vessels by French, Belgian and Dutch dock workers.
Some PR strategies are sunk before they set sail. I’ve a feeling that this could be one of them.