Stena Line has rejected claims that it has been on a recruitment drive in the Philippines and plans to maintain a mix of British, Dutch and Filipino workers.

The company “hugely values” its British workers, according to Pim de Lange, area director, Stena Line North Sea.

De Lange has come under fire following an interview with Dutch maritime industry newspaper Lloyd’s List in which he claimed British jobseekers were “fat and covered in tattoos”.

The RMT, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, claims Stena has made 300 British sailors redundant over the past two years, adding that a loophole in the Race Relations Act meant Filipino crew members can be paid as little as £2.20 per hour, well below the British minimum wage. 

In a statement, de Lange says: “I regret any offence caused by my comments and apologise. I hugely value the contribution of our British and Dutch employees, along with our Filipino crew, and as usual we will continue to work together.

“Our employee mix and pay scales on our new Superferry, the Stena Britannica, will be the same as previously. Contrary to media coverage, we have not been on a recruitment drive in the Philippines and are not making any UK seafarers redundant, but instead will continue to employ a mix of British, Dutch and Filipino workers, as we have always done.  

“At present, with the new Stena Hollandica sailing and the new Stena Britannica launching in October, our employment ratio of nationalities is very similar to previous years. On the new Superferry we will employ more UK seafarers than on the present Stena Britannica. All our British and Dutch employees are hugely valued, as are our Filipino staff, who have an excellent reputation for hospitality services, which we and our customers value enormously.”