| The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union staged a protest outside a Glasgow recruitment office which was reportedly involved in hiring staff to replace sacked union members on P&O’s ferry routes. The demonstration took place at the offices of Clyde Marine Recruitment, Govan Road, Glasgow. MSP Richard Leonard was in attendance to show his “support and solidarity” with the fired workers, who were replaced with cheaper agency staff. Speaking to STV News, the former Scottish Labour leader said: “We’re here this morning because Clyde Marine Recruitment, a firm based here in Glasgow, is now playing a part in this P&O dispute and we are here to call on them to take a step back, not to get involved.“Don’t go down in history as being part of one of the most ferocious attacks on working people that’s ever been conducted in this country.” In response, a spokesperson for Clyde Marine Recruitment said:“Clyde Marine Recruitment had no prior knowledge of P&O’s plan and, having worked with P&O for close to four decades, we fully appreciate the anger being felt by all of those affected.“Several days before the announcement, Clyde Marine Recruitment were advised by P&O that they required an additional 18 crew for a specific vessel. Such requests are not unusual.“ A further 23 crew were requested by a third-party crew manager, International Ferry Management, for a ro-ro ferry management project requiring UK seafarers. This is nowhere near the 800 crew we have been wrongly accused of providing. “Clyde Marine Recruitment has assisted in finding over 15,000 positions for UK domiciled seafarers over the past five years, with every member of staff paid UK market rates.” Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity, commented: “In fairness to Clyde Marine Recruitment it may be that they did not know the full facts and that they were duped by P&O. They certainly know what is going on now though and can respond as any decent organisation or company would by not providing scab labour.“ |
