P&O Ferries has admitted breaking employment law when it sacked 800 workers without notice. Chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite told MPs there is “absolutely no doubt” the ferry operator was required to consult with trade unions.
The company replaced its crews with cheaper agency workers last week. Mr Hebblethwaite said the new crews are being paid below the UK’s minimum wage apart from on domestic routes, but insisted this is allowed under international maritime rules.
He also claimed Transport Secretary Grant Shapps knew about the intention to cut jobs in November last year, although that was strongly denied by the Department for Transport (DfT). Explaining the decision not to consult with trade unions, Mr Hebblethwaite told a joint session of the Commons’ transport and business select committees: “We assessed that given the fundamental nature of change, no union could accept it and therefore we chose not to consult because a consultation process would have been a sham.
