P&O ferries may have ‘broken the law’ in sacking 800 workers, PM says

Boris Johnson has said he believes P&O Ferries may have “broken the law” in sacking 800 workers.

His comments came as the company’s chief executive issued an apology for the impact of the decision to sack the staff without notice.

Peter Hebblethwaite said in a statement he understood the “anger and shock” about the loss of jobs.

His statement came amid continued protests by unions and workers and followed confirmation that he will appear before MPs on Thursday to be questioned about the dismissals.

Image: Protest signs erected near the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster

He said: “I want to say sorry to the people affected and their families for the impact it’s had on them, and also to the 2,200 people who still work for P&O and will have been asked a lot of difficult questions about this.

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“Over the last week, I’ve been speaking face-to-face to seafarers and their partners. They’ve lost their jobs and there is anger and shock and I completely understand.

“We needed fundamental change to make us viable. This was an incredibly difficult decision that we wrestled with but once we knew it was the only way to save the business, we had to act.

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“All other routes led to the closure of P&O Ferries. I wish there was another way and I’m sorry.”

Speaking during PMQs, the prime minister said the government would be “taking action” and encouraged the ferry company’s former employees to do the same.

His comments came after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer questioned how the government had handled the situation.

“800 loyal British workers fired over Zoom, instantly replaced by foreign agency workers shipped in on less than the minimum wage. If the prime minister can’t stop that, what’s the point of his government?” said the Labour leader.

Mr Johnson responded: “I can tell him we will not sit by, Mr Speaker, because under section 194 of the Trades Union and Labour Relations Act of 1992 it looks to me as though the company concerned has broken the law.

“And we will be taking action therefore and we will be encouraging workers themselves to take action themselves under the 1996 Employments Rights Act – both Acts, Mr Speaker passed by Conservative governments.

“If the company is found guilty then they face fines running into millions of pounds.”

Yesterday the embattled ferry operator P&O said it will pay out £36.5m in compensation to workers who were fired last week.

During PMQs Sir Keir described the Prime Minister as “all mouth no trousers” in legislating to ban fire and rehire, which involves making workers redundant before giving them their jobs back with worse terms and conditions.

Sir Keir highlighted that Mr Johnson ordered Tory MPs to abstain on a Labour motion to ban fire and rehire, adding sacked P&O workers did not want new jobs but their old jobs back.

He said: “They don’t want a Prime Minister hoisting the white flag, they want him to fight for their livelihoods – 82,000 seafarers in this country.”