The Shipping and Coast Guard (MCA) said the ship, the European Causeway, was detained in Larne “due to crew failure, boat documentation and crew training failures”. “The ship will remain in custody until all these issues are resolved by P&O Ferries. Only then will it be re-inspected,” the statement said. Picture: The European sidewalk at the pier The MCA added: “The detention of the ships is based on concerns for their safety and to prevent them from going to sea.” There were no passengers on board when the coast guard announced the move. Transport Secretary Grand Saps wrote on Twitter: “Following my instruction to inspect all P&O vessels before re-launching, the Shipping and Coast Guard have banned a vessel because it was unfit to sail. “I will not jeopardize the safety of these boats and P&O will not be able to rush an infinite crew through training.”
When was the European Causeway launched?
The European Causeway was built in 1999 and opened in 2000, replacing the Pride of Rathlin, to carry passengers from Scotland to Northern Ireland. It was commissioned specifically for the route from Cairnryan – a village in Dumfries and Galloway, about 81 miles southwest of Glasgow – to Larne. The ship has not been operated elsewhere and is decommissioned only when repair is required. It can carry more than 400 passengers, along with 53 crew members. It has a total capacity (the total capacity) 20,800. The European Causeway was renewed in 2013 as part of a 20 20 million investment in P&O Irish Sea vessels. Mr Saps had previously called on P&O Ferries boss Peter Hebblethwaite to resign over the mass layoffs – a call echoed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Labor’s shadow transport secretary, Louis Haye, responded to the detention by calling on hundreds of laid-off workers to take back their jobs. The RMT union has now called on the government to “occupy the entire fleet” of P&O vessels. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:40 “The P&O boss has to leave,” says the transport secretary Secretary-General Mick Leeds said: “The occupation of the European Corridor by the MCA tonight shows that the P&O gangster capitalist uniform is not appropriate and is not suitable to operate a secure post-slaughter service. “This mob must be disbanded, its ships seized and its crews fired restored to safely reopen these critical ferry services.” The P&O boss said the new crews were being paid below the UK minimum wage, in addition to those on domestic routes. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:37 ‘Did you choose to break the law?’ He said the hourly wage was between 15 5.15 and £ 6. The minimum wage in the United Kingdom for people over the age of 23 is 91 8.91 per hour. Mr Hebblethwaite, testifying to lawmakers on Thursday, admitted the company had violated labor law by failing to consult unions and staff. However, he denied violating the criminal law in an email to other staff on Friday, telling them they should not fear the same fate as their former colleagues. Protests over the layoffs are expected in Liverpool, Hull and Dover on Saturday.
