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Displaying items by tag: Added Stena sailings

Operator Stena Line which has a ferry route on the North Channel, has said it will put on extra services between Northern Ireland and Scotland from Tuesday, reports the Belfast Telegraph. 

The UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the news in the House of Commons (see related story), stating the company had “stepped up” after P&O routes were suspended last week and that it would ease pressure on major supermarkets like Asda and Marks & Spencer.

There was widespread outrage last week after P&O made the sudden announcement that 800 crew workers had lost their jobs without warning.

It’s understood up to 50 workers from Northern Ireland alone are affected.

The BBC report that Mr Shapps confirmed that if it is found P&O flouted employment law by failing to give adequate notice or consultation then it would be “a matter for criminal prosecution and unlimited fines”.

Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister has also accused P&O of “ripping up the employment rule book”.

P&O has said the company was forced to take immediate action to safeguard the future viability of the business and that affected staff would be receiving enhanced redundancy packages.

Further coverage from the newspaper here.

Published in Stena Line

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors