Angry staff hit out after items such as fridges and TVs were ‘plundered’ from their rooms, with blame pointed at low-paid workers brought in to replace them
Sacked Scottish P&O workers have had their personal cabins looted after being thrown off their vessels.
Angry staff hit out after items such as fridges and TVs were ‘plundered’ from their rooms, with blame pointed at low-paid workers brought in to replace them.
Many are awaiting the return of their personal property, including family photographs and permits and licences that might enable them to gain new employment.
Sacked chef Gale Dowey, 46, said: It is scandalous how we are being treated. We have our own cabins on board, as we lived half our lives on the ships.
But when people were ordered off the boats, they were specifically refused from taking anything from their rooms. I know a fridge was taken from one room and TVs have gone missing. One person had two cartons of cigarettes taken, so it seems there are new workers going round the cabins and taking what they want, Dowey said.
People should have been given access to their possessions whenever they want. Instead they have been told that stuff will be sent out to them. Who would want some anonymous person going through their personal stuff?, Dowey said.
One Scots worker told the Record how his seaman’s work licences were stuck in his room, which could hold up efforts to get a new job.
He said: I have a lot of clothes in the room but if my paperwork goes missing, I will be in a bad spot, as I need these to be able to go to sea with another employer if I’m lucky enough to get another job.
Staff have also told how they were thrown off their vessels in Northern Ireland and told they would have to find their own way back to Scotland.
