P&O Ferries says sacking U-turn would cause collapseon March 29, 2022 at 9:37 am

The boss of P&O Ferries has hit back at government’s calls to reinstate the 800 workers it has sacked, insisting a U-turn would cause the firm’s collapse.

Peter Hebblethwaite said reversing the cuts, which the firm did not consult unions on, would lead to the loss of an additional 2,200 jobs.

It comes after the transport secretary gave P&O “one final opportunity” to reemploy staff on their previous wages.

He said the company had “painstakingly explored all possible alternatives”.

In a letter in response to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Mr Hebblethwaite said that more than 500 of the sacked crew had accepted and signed settlement agreements, and that he could not change the 31 March deadline for seafarers accepting their redundancy offers.

P&O Ferries replaced staff with agency workers paid less than the minimum wage.

Mr Hebblethwaite wrote: “Complying with your requests would deliberately cause the company’s collapse, resulting in the irretrievable loss of an additional 2,200 jobs.

“I cannot imagine that you would wish to compel an employer to bring about its downfall, affecting not hundreds but thousands of families.”

The chief executive also resisted calls for his resignation.

He said he felt compelled “to discharge my duties for this historical company” and provide “the effective operation of the trade routes upon which this country depends”.

“I will there continue to do my utmost to ensure that this company has a sustainable business for the future.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Shapps as well as unions called for Mr Hebblethwaite’s resignation last week.

It came after the P&O Ferries boss admitted in front of a group of MPs that his decision to sack 800 workers without consulting unions first broke the law. However, he said no union would have accepted the plan and it was easier to compensate workers “in full” instead.