The federal government knew of the “recreation plan” for P&O Ferries mass firing of 800 seafarers forward of the agency’s announcement of a job cull – however did nothing to cease it, the shadow transport secretary has claimed.
On Saturday, Labour MP Louise Haigh claimed to have a replica of a authorities memo about P&O Ferries’ intentions that, she stated, was extensively shared by ministers and seen by No 10.
Ms Haigh was opening an Opposition Day movement within the Commons on the ferry agency’s behaviour, which has been extensively condemned.
Labour is asking for the instant reinstatement of the seafarers.
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, stated that he heard at 8.30pm on Wednesday that P&O Ferries was aspiring to make redundancies.
He stated that in earlier rounds of redundancies, which had taken place in 2020 and 2021, the corporate had consulted with the employees, and that it was cheap to imagine the identical would occur on this event. As a substitute, he stated: “It’s been dealt with by the corporate completely disastrously.”
Mr Shapps stated the choice was commercially delicate and due to this fact there was a restrict to what ministers may say.
The transport secretary criticised the non-disclosure settlement that employees needed to signal in the event that they had been to safe the proposed redundancy phrases, in addition to the style wherein some employees learnt of their destiny, by way of a pre-recorded video hyperlink.
“There isn’t any excuse for what we noticed final Thursday,” he stated.
Mr Shapps additionally stated that he would name on P&O Ferries to alter the names of vessels together with Spirit of Britain and Delight of Kent if they didn’t have British crew on board.
“It could be utterly inappropriate,” he stated.
He stated the federal government is inspecting contracts it holds with P&O Ferries and DP World, the dad or mum firm.
The transport secretary additionally stated that felony expenses might be introduced towards P&O Ferries’ administration in the event that they had been discovered to have damaged employment legislation.
His colleague, the Conservative MP for South Thanet, Craig Mackinlay, stated: “What on earth had been the board of P&O and DP World considering of? Did they not realise the reputational injury that this measure would take?”
The Kent MP informed the Commons that he would by no means use the ferry agency once more – including: “I want to see that P&O Ferries go down the bathroom and {that a} new provider comes out of the woodwork that’s ready to take care of native individuals correctly.”
Earlier, the overall secretary of the TUC, Frances O’Grady, led chants of “Seize the ships” at an illustration outdoors Parliament.
Ms O’Grady stated: “If we let P&O get away with this, then each single employee on this nation is aware of they are often coming for us subsequent.
“So we is not going to allow them to get away with this.
“Migrant employees will not be the enemy. Dangerous bosses are.”
Different audio system on the demonstration included the previous Labour chief, Jeremy Corbyn, and the present deputy chief, Angela Rayner.
Kaynak: briturkish.com
