Union chiefs have called for a "militant response" to yesterday's shock sacking of 800 P&O Ferries workers.

The Dubai-owned ferry firm sparked widespread outrage after it informed staff at Dover and elsewhere that their jobs would be made redundant with immediate effect.

The calm before the storm? Free-flowing traffic at the Port of Dover this morning. Footage: Barry Goodwin

Today the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union will stage a midday protest in Dover as well as simultaneous demonstrations in Liverpool and Hull.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "It is vital workers from every industry mobilise for the demonstrations. We need to send a message to ruthless employers and the government alike, that when working people are treated so abysmally, there is a militant response from the trade union movement.

"This example of gangster capitalism which our members in P&O have been subjected, is what lies ahead for other workers up and down the country if we do not all take a stand."

This morning, the Port of Dover appeared to be operating as normal, despite fears of a backlog of freight could cause problems on Kent's roads.

P&O's shock decision to axe crews and seek to replace them with cheaper labour was announced to workers yesterday morning via a pre-recorded message.

Speaking in Parliament a short while later, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh labelled the firm's actions "clearly illegal" and a national scandal.

"There are pictures circulating of what we're told are handcuff-trained security, some in balaclavas, marching British crew off their ships," the Labour MP said.

"This is not a corporate restructure, it's not the way we go about business in this country – it's beneath contempt, the action of thugs."

RMT members blocked roads in Dover yesterday afternoon – brandishing placards bearing the slogan 'stop the P&O jobs carve up'.

In a scripted Zoom message seen by KentOnline, a company boss informed employees that their contracts were terminated due to losses of more than £200 million in two years.

"Whilst these losses have been covered by P&O's parent company DP world, it's clearly not sustainable in the future," he said.

"The business cannot continue to operate like this so it has had to consider a range of options in order to reduce costs."

P&O's social media accounts have been bombarded with messages from outraged customers, with many of them calling for a boycott of the firm over its sudden sackings.

Today's national newspaper front pages are also dominated by the mass redundancies, which affect seafaring communities across the country.

This afternoon's protest in Dover is due to begin at Maritime House in Snargate Street at midday.