Episode 6 - The P&O Ferries Purge Through a Seafarer’s Eyes with John Lansdown

This episode’s guest is John Lansdown, one of 786 seafarers dismissed by P&O Ferries on 17th March 2022, one of the most shocking corporate acts in modern British employment history. After over 15 years of loyal service, he and his colleagues were abruptly fired via pre-recorded video, a move designed to replace experienced British crews with low-paid agency workers, many earning below the UK minimum wage.Rather than accept silence, John became one of the leading voices exposing the injustice. His decision to speak publicly, to Parliament, to national media, and alongside trade unions like the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and Nautilus International, helped turn what might have been a quiet redundancy into a major national scandal.He has since become a symbol of worker resistance and moral courage, representing those who lost not only jobs but dignity, rights, and trust in Britain’s labour protections. John continues to campaign for reform of maritime employment law and stronger enforcement against exploitative corporate practices. His story offers a human face to questions of legal loopholes, corporate governance, and the moral responsibilities of employers in the twenty-first century. Enjoy the discussion.