Employees’ emails criticising the outcome of collective bargaining was a “breach of loyalty” says Maersk.

16 April 2008

Maersk Supply Service in Denmark has dismissed two ship mates because they shared critical views of the results of collective bargaining during email exchanges, according to Danish newspaper, Politiken.

Fritz Ganzhorn of the union Danish Maritime Officers said: “The ship mates spoke out critically about the collective bargaining in a closed email network with their colleagues and with Danish Maritime Officers. The reason for firing the ship mates was that they had breached loyalty towards the company in their mail correspondence.”

The union is extremely dissatisfied with the company’s action.

According to Danish TV2, Fritz Ganzhorn said: “The termination is a sign of bad management. It is not showing constant care when you come down hard in this old fashion manner. AP Moller-Maersk had used emails – probably forwarded anonymously – in the redundancy notices without even discussing the matter with the two employees in the first place.”

The company does not share the opinion that the email network was private.

Rikke Fabian, AP Moller-Maersk press officer told Danish TV2: "Maersk Supply Service does not read nor in any other way access employees’ private emails. But it is obvious that when one writes in the Danish Maritime Officers Supplynet and other public forums, then it is not considered private correspondence.”

The dismissed officers have both found alternative employment and do not wish to proceed with a case against the company.