The decision by P&O Ferries to end its Liverpool-Dublin route has been described as “a historic loss”.
P&O announced, on Tuesday, that it would be ending the service by the end of this year after failing to secure a suitable berth in Liverpool next year.
It said it had also been unable to find a suitable alternative plan to keep the Irish Sea service alive.
P&O largely uses the Liverpool-Dublin route for freight services. It currently makes 24 sailings a week on the route, but will now redeploy its boats to other routes.
The Unite trade union has described the move as “a historic loss”.
Unite said it will now be ensuring that its 30 plus members who are employed at Liverpool docks, servicing the ferries, are fully compensated.
Unite national officer Bobby Morton said: “This is an important ferry service and its loss will be a huge blow to the people of Liverpool and Dublin.”
“Unite will now ensure that the affected workers are fully compensated for being made redundant and will also be providing assistance with finding them appropriate new employment opportunities.”
In a lengthy statement, earlier this week, P&O said: “Without agreement with the port owner to provide a berth in Liverpool, it is impossible for P&O Ferries to continue operating on this route,” it said in a statement.
“Extensive negotiations with the owner of our Liverpool site to extend our lease at the port or find an alternative site for our Liverpool-Dublin service to operate from have been unsuccessful.
“P&O Ferries is committed to serving our Irish Sea customers and has explored all options to continue sailing on this route.
“Unfortunately, despite utmost efforts by P&O Ferries to find a viable solution, no suitable alternative has been offered that would enable us to maintain the current service into 2024.
“We are saddened by our forced withdrawal from this route, which will reduce competition and the choice of sailings available to customers on a crossing where there is currently only one alternative operator.”
