Ministers must push ahead with P&O prosecution

Responding to the appearance of P&O Ferries chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite at a parliamentary executive committee today (Thursday), in which he admitted the company broke the law when it dismissed 800 workers without consultation with unions, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Companies with deep pockets should not be able to spend their way out of complying with the law on workers’ rights.

“P&O Ferries’ chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite admitted to MPs that the company deliberately breached the law by not consulting with unions before sacking nearly 800 staff on the spot.

“And he was unable to answer questions about who the company notified about the redundancies, as the law requires.

“Ministers can’t wash their hands of responsibility. Employment law in the UK is far too weak.

“Ministers must immediately take steps to prosecute the company and its directors, and to suspend DP World’s lucrative freeports and other public contracts until the workers are reinstated.

“And they must bring forward the long-promised employment bill so other companies don’t follow P&O’s appalling example.”