It takes 90 minutes to cross the Channel by boat. It took P&O Ferries far less time to sack 800 employees — without warning — over Zoom. Like many in the transport sector, P&O was hit hard by pandemic restrictions and travel bans.
The company said it lost £100 million year-on-year and that its survival was based on making significant changes. Yet such a blatant disregard for employees and due process cannot be right. Executives have treated staff unacceptably, and there are urgent questions over the legality of its actions, including reported strong-arm tactics.
The operator has faced calls today to return the £10 million it received in Government furlough payments in addition to other financial support — money provided by the Treasury and funded by the taxpayer — to protect jobs.
Meanwhile, its Dubai-based parent company, DP World, which regularly pays dividends, recently announced “record results” with profits up 15 per cent to $3.8 billion.
Channel crossings represent critical UK infrastructure — these routes are a vital artery for trade and ordinary travel. By cancelling routes without notice, the company is effectively holding the Government to ransom. Some supply chains are also plunged into chaos.
Whether it intends to hire new, cheaper agency staff or rehire employees on inferior terms, this egregious act of corporate disdain cannot be allowed to stand. We need clarity on how this was permitted and what can be done to stop P&O and other firms from following suit. The company must not be allowed to set a new precedent by plumbing the depths of UK employment law.
P&O has grandiose names for its ships, from Spirit of Britain to Pride of Kent. Actions, as ever, speak louder than words painted on a hull.
